


At the Crossroads

by CassondraWinchester



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Castiel, Bottom Dean, Crossroads AU, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Holidays, Light Angst, M/M, Rimming, Smut, Switching, Top Castiel, Top Dean, alternative universe, making deals
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-09-21 14:06:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 106,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9552227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassondraWinchester/pseuds/CassondraWinchester
Summary: Prompt from: Evangeline74Castiel is a man desperate for love. One lonely night after meeting a bizarre stranger in a bar he finds himself at The Crossroads bargaining his soul in exchange for meeting his true love. He makes a deal with none other than the King of Hell, a smug little man named Crowley, who agrees to bring Castiel’s true love into his life. He allows Castiel six months to get his true love to fall completely in love with him. And if not -- then Castiel's soul becomes his property. Castiel feels confident that if he’s meeting his true love then getting the man to fall completely in love with him would be nothing short of natural.But, Crowley is never one to play fair especially when he really wants something. He assigns his most loyal of all Crossroad Demons, Dean Winchester, toposeas Castiel's true love. His mission is to never let himself fall in love with the mark. In return, Crowley promises to give Dean his soul back and release him from any further obligations in Hell. But things begin to go awry when Dean actually begins to fall for Castiel.





	1. At the Crossroads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has been in the works for a long time.
> 
> Thank you Evangeline74 for giving me this prompt it has been so much fun to fulfill.
> 
> I would also like to thank lotrspnfangirl, Thunderpuffin429, and ZephyrChrysalis for betaing this fic for me, which is now over 100k words. Also thank you lotrspnfangirl & ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics.
> 
> You can click the link below to see a collection of Character cards for the Characters in this fic.  
>  [ _**Meet the Characters of At The Crossroads!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/22150472)
> 
> Here is a link to lotrspnfangirl's art page where you can find art for At the Crossroads along with other fics she has done.  
> 
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> And here is a link to ZephyrChrysalis art page.
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259)
> 
> I will be updating this fic every Thursday! I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!

**Prologue:** In this AU it's up to the Demon doing the Dealing on how much time they give the person making the deal. If they see a soul is desperate enough they could offer them a little as a month. Ten years is standard for a good deal. But they are all about the souls so if they can get one in less time they are definitely going to.

Castiel couldn't believe it, couldn't believe he was actually doing this. And yet, here he was, on a Saturday night, in the middle of September. All because of a conversation he had with a complete stranger at a bar. 

He felt the crunch of gravel of the old dirt road under his shoes. The night was cool and eerily quiet. There wasn’t a car to be seen except for the few that were scattered around the old rundown bar that stood at the corner. He walked with purpose up the road and paused in the middle of where he was told he should be. He looked around the deep night and nearly laughed as he shook his head in disbelief. He still couldn’t believe that he was actually standing in the middle of nowhere, in the dead of the night, at the crossroads of who knew what, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. As another stiff September breeze sent a slight chill through him, Castiel could have sworn he heard the trees whisper in the wind that he was a fool, that he’d lost his mind listening to some kook in a bar. 

He clutched the old wooden box he held in his hands tighter. He sighed and shook his head. Why was he here again? Oh, that's right; he was just the right amount of drunk and utterly desperate.

_He was just so fucking tired of being alone._

_He has a good life. He does, and he knows that. He loves his job teaching. He loves his colleagues and the staff. And the kids. It’s what keeps him going every day, gets him out of bed in the mornings. But, it’s the going home to an empty house every night that he doesn't love._

_At 36 years old, he has never been in love. Hell, he hasn't ever been in a relationship that managed to last more than a few weeks. And that had been fine, even fun when he was younger. But now, he was ready to find that special someone. He wanted someone to come home to at the end of a long day, someone to share his life. He needed it, like he needed the air to breathe._

The wind kicked up and ruffled his trench coat, he shivered. His palm under his pocket watch itched with cold. He kept his eyes trained on the second hand, each tick thundered in the silence. As the minutes crept closer to midnight, he began to dig a hole as close to what seemed to be dead center in the middle of where the four roads crossed, remembering the conversation he had with the _bizarre_ stranger at the bar...

_He was sipping on his fifth beer, still relishing the numb feeling as he swallowed, and he thought about his life._

_“Young man, you look like you could use a friend.” An older, lanky, blonde haired man sat down on the barstool beside Castiel, flashing him a friendly smile._

_“I, no-” Castiel sighed. “Is it that obvious?”_

_The man huffed a small laugh. “Only to someone who has been where you are.” He held out his hand for Castiel to take. “I'm David.”_

_Castiel shook his hand, offering him a small smile in return before replying, “Castiel.”_

_“Well Castiel, what has you drowning your sorrows this early on a Saturday night?”_

_Castiel hummed, twisting his glass on the counter with his left hand. “Probably the same reason as most the people in here, David… Loneliness.”_

_David nodded, picking at a scuff mark in the wooden bar top. “You know, I was once just like you, Castiel. Unhappy, dissatisfied, and very much alone. But then someone changed my life, right here in his very bar.” The odd man stopped scratching and tapped the bar top with a small smile, as if recalling that night. “A stranger came up to me and told me how I could find happiness. He told me what to do to find love! I didn't believe him. Hell, I thought he was crazy, but, I was desperate.”_

_Cas quirked a brow at the man. He hoped it conveyed all the skepticism he thought would be to ride to voice._

_David chuckled softly, “I know that look, but, I tried what he told me to do.” He shrugged, “I figured it couldn't hurt. All he asked in return was that I pay it forward, that if I saw a lonely man or woman in the bar, I pass on the tale to them and they could do with it as they choose. That's why I came over here, Castiel. I'm going to tell you how you can find the love of your life.”_

Castiel continued to dig in the dirt with the small trowel he brought as he replayed David's tale in his head. All he had to do was come out to this old crossroads with a box full of all the necessary ingredients in it to call forth a Crossroads’ Demon. Supposedly that was a being who granted the summoner a wish, for a price of course, or at least that was how the man had explained it. 

Though David never did tell him what the _exact_ price was, he assured Castiel that it was worth it. Castiel remembered how his eyes widened at the mention of a ‘demon’ and for a moment had a fleeting thought that the local psych ward was definitely missing a patient. But he was here, maybe _he_ should be in that ward sharing a room with David for even entertaining the possibility of this insane notion. 

Once David had ensured that Castiel knew exactly where the crossroads were located, he went on to tell Castiel how _exactly_ to call upon a Crossroads’ Demon. He explained that he would have to bury a box filled with some dirt from a graveyard, a bone from a black cat, and a picture of the person doing the summoning. Then he told Castiel, very seriously, he would have to dig the hole dead center where the crossroads met before burying the box. 

Upon hearing the word ‘bone’, Castiel had turned briefly to wave over the bartender, desperately needing another drink. But when he looked back to tell David there was no way he could possibly get those ingredients, even if he wanted to try, the man was gone. Looking down, he saw that in David’s chair now sat a old wooden box with all of the ingredients already inside, minus Castiel’s picture. A sticky note stuck on top read: _‘Give it a chance, Castiel. You won’t regret it.’_

So here he was, doing just that, giving it a _chance_. Castiel pulled his wallet from his pocket and took out his driver's license. “Well, this is going to have to do,” he said as he shoved the rest of his wallet back into his pants. “It's the only picture of me I have,” he mumbled to the darkness as he opened the box, shuddering when he saw the bone. He had no desire to know just exactly _how_ the man had gotten it. 

Pushing those thoughts aside he laid his license on top and re-shut the lid, placing the box in the freshly dug hole. Standing up after smoothing dirt over the hole, he waited for a second, anxiously holding his breath. Around him the silence seemed to grow heavier, the three roads he could see from where he stood stayed empty, and he counted to ten before he sighed and spun around. “God, I am stupid. What a fuckin’ joke.”

“Clearly patience is not one of your virtues,” a thick English accent chided. Castiel nearly tripped as he turned back around to see a short, black haired man in an expensive suit smirking at him.

“I-I,” Cas stuttered out. “Who are you?”

“Oh, I think you already know.” The man blinked his brown eyes and they turned a deep blood red. “You did summoned me, after all.”

Castiel stumbled back and _did_ trip this time, falling flat on his ass in road. “I-I’m-I’m sorry! I didn't think -- this is real?”

The demon blinked again, eyes turning back to brown as he stepped towards Castiel and reached out his hand. Castiel stared at it warily and the demon rolled his eyes. “I don't bite.” 

He reluctantly took the demon’s hand and allowed himself to be hauled back up to his feet. Then the demon raised an eyebrow, an impish grin playing on his lips. “You know, unless you want me to.”

Castiel jerked his hand back as if the man -- No, _demon_ \-- had burned him and ran his fingers back through his hair as hysterical laughter bubbled from his lips. “I can't believe this is happening, you're an _actual_ Crossroads’ Demon.”

The demon rocked his head gently from side to side as his eyes screwed up in thought. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “ _Actually_ , I'm not just a typical ‘Crossroads’ Demon’.” His voice sent a shiver down Castiel’s spine. The man shrugged slightly, “I don’t usually do this kind of gig, but,” he glanced down inspecting his nails, “I’ve been a bit bored.” He looked back at Castiel, “I, dear boy, am the King of the Crossroads. And at the risk of sounding like a braggart, I'm also the King of Hell.” The king flashed a smile at Castiel's shell-shocked look and continued with the same bravado, “Oh, who am I kidding, I love to brag! But you don’t have to call me Your Majesty or any of those pretentious titles. Crowley will suffice.” Crowley smiled, flashing all of his teeth. “But enough about me, why have you summoned me tonight, Castiel?”

Castiel's eyes widened. “How do you know my name?”

The demon shrugged, his posture bored, but his eyes shining as he looked at the man standing before him. “You summoned me with,” Crowley twisted the rectangular card in his hand before holding it up, “your driver's license. It has your name on it, Castiel Novak.”

“I didn't think this would actually work,” Castiel whispered, mostly to himself. He swallowed hard, his hands shaking with nervousness. “I have wasted your time. I don't want anything,” Castiel kept his tone calm, almost apologetic as he took a cautious step closer reaching for his license. 

“Ah, ah, ah…” The king tapped his chin with Castiel’s license and frowned. “I don't believe you. You clearly want something, I mean _everyone_ wants something. And since I'm already here,” he shrugged and gave Castiel a small smile, “why don't you at least tell me what you wanted so badly that it brought you out here tonight to at least _try_ the summons.”

Castiel sighed and murmured, “I'm lonely.”

“Ahhh, yes, aren’t we all?” Crowley let out a pained sigh. He took a few steps away nodding as he did. “And let me guess!” He rounded on Castiel, “You,” he kept his raspy voice soft, almost as if sharing a secret, “want to meet your one true love. Am I not correct?” 

Castiel tried to ignore the smug smile on the demon’s face as he nodded. “I do.”

“I know who he is, you know,” the king said matter-of-factly. “He, too, is lonely and looking for love, his love, for _you_.”

Castiel's eyes lit up and he swallowed hard as he whispered, “You know?”

The demon nodded. “Yes,” Crowley’s eyes glittered, “and it just so happens he lives right here in Lawrence! Aren’t you the lucky thing!” He paused, a small, calculated grin spreading across his mouth. “So Castiel Novak, do you want me to bring your true love into your life?”

“I-I…” Castiel swallowed hard, his eyes wide. “Yes!” He nodded his quickly, anxious and excited. 

The king grinned. “There is, however, the small matter of payment we need to discuss.” 

“What do you want, money?” Castiel started reaching for his wallet.

The demon laughed, the sound jovial but sent another shiver down Castiel’s spine. “Money? No, no, dear boy,” he waved his hand as if shooing a fly away, “I have no need or desire for your money. We,” he grinned, “deal in other forms of payment in Hell.”

Castiel furrowed his eyebrows, clearly confused. If the demon didn't want his money, what could it possibly want? What other form of payment could he be referring to? “Well, if you don't want my money, what is it that you do want?”

The King of Hell let a smile slowly spread across his face. “Why your soul, of course,” he replied as if it were obvious.

Castiel sucked in a sharp breath. “My… my _soul_? You want me to sign over my soul.” He stared back at the king’s unflinching face and felt his own body jerk backwards. “No. No way!” He turned to leave, ignoring the voice in his head that reminded him it probably was not the best idea to turn his back to a demon, but he needed to make as hastily a retreat as possible.

“Wait,” the king called out, causing Castiel to pause in his movements. “Don't you want to, at least, hear my offer? After all,” Crowley paused, “what’ve ya got to lose?” 

Castiel, against his better judgment, found himself turning back around and slowly nodding. Crowley smirked as he continued. He could see the desperation in Castiel’s eyes. Crowley had his hooks in him, now it was time to reel him in.

“I will bring your true love into your life within the week and I will give you six months.” Crowley took a step closer, “During those six months,” he looked into Castiel's eyes, “pay attention now, this next part is _very_ important.” Castiel nodded his understanding and Crowley continued, “The man needs to fall in love with you _completely_ , heart and soul. If by the end of those six months he hasn't?” Crowley shrugged nonchalantly, “Your soul comes to me, and you will become one of my Crossroads’ Demons.” 

Castiel shuddered at the thought of losing his soul and becoming a demon, his eyes becoming an unnatural red and spending his days dealing with souls. 

“But!” Crowley smiled as he sweetened the pot. “If he has? I will grant you any request, free of charge.”

“Six months…” Castiel repeated, shaking his head. “That doesn't seem like enough time to get someone to fall in love with you,” he whispered.

The king shrugged. “It's your true love, Darling. How hard could it possibly be?” Crowley waited a pause and then took a step closer, lowering his voice as he asked, “So, do we have a deal?”

Castiel gnawed on his bottom lip. His true love was here, in Lawrence, and just as lonely as him? Castiel could _finally_ have someone. He wouldn't have to be alone anymore? And six months with his true love, surely he would fall in love with Castiel by then, after all, they were meant to be. 

Castiel looked up at the demon who was currently examining his nails with a bored expression. He took a deep breath, and with more confidence than he felt, said those four magic words. “We have a deal.”

The demon grinned. “Excellent! Now,” he rubbed his hands together, “we just have to seal the deal.”

“How do we do that,” Castiel questioned.

The king strode up to Castiel and gripped the lapels of his trench coat shocking a gasp from the human. “With a kiss, of course.” The demon pulled Castiel into a quick, rough kiss, not giving him any time to process what was happening until it was all over. When Crowley stepped back, Castiel looked dazed. “This transaction is now completed.” The king chuckled as Castiel shook himself out of a shocked state, caused by the fact that he had just been kissed by a Demon. “You will meet your love within the week and the moment you meet him, the clock starts.”

“How will I know it's him,” Castiel queried.

Crowley’s lips curled up, “Oh, you’ll know.” 

The demon snapped his fingers and disappeared, leaving Castiel standing alone in the middle of the crossroads and still seriously questioning his sanity.

Crowley returned to his throne snapping his fingers and calling for refreshments. He straightened his jacket as he glanced around the room at the confused faces of his demons. As soon as Castiel's summons came through, Crowley had held up his hand, announcing, ‘ _I've got this one_ ,’ ignoring the strange looks of his minions as he disappeared from his throne. Their king hadn’t taken a call from The Crossroads since he’d taken over Hell.

“Everyone out.” Crowley pointed at Dean who was laid back in his chair, feet propped up on the table and crossed at his ankles. “Except you.”

The other demons quickly retreated. Dean slowly stood and sauntered up to the front of the throne, making a point to embellish his bow with over enthusiasm. “And what, pray tell, can I do for you, My King?” Dean flashed his trade-mark thousand-watt smile.

Crowley rolled his eyes. “First, you can stop being a prat, sarcasm doesn't become you.”

Dean pursed his lips and leaned back against the table where the demons had been seated just mere minutes ago. “Alright, what do you want?”

“I want to make a deal with you, Dean,” Crowley started to explain before he was cut off by laughter.

As soon as the words _deal_ made it to Dean's ears, he burst out laughing. “A deal? Really?” Dean’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Crowley, “You know what they say, fool me twice,” he snorted, “last time I made a deal with you I wound up stuck here doing your bidding.” He slid his hands into his pockets and leaned towards Hell’s king with a cold gleam in his eyes, “Not going there again.” 

Crowley chuckled. “Ahhh, Love, are we not over that yet?” Dean just glared at him and the king grinned ear to ear before he continued. “You have been one of my most loyal subjects for, what? Three years now?”

“Five,” Dean corrected, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Crowley hummed, “My my my, time flies.”

Dean huffed a small breath and rolled his eyes. “Clearly you’re not going to dismiss me until I hear this so called deal, so out with it.”

The king smiled. “The young man I met and made a deal with is hoping to find his true love. Poor, Darling.” He let out a sigh of mock distress. “I want you, Dean, to pose as that love.”

Dean’s mouth hung agape until he snapped it shut, his teeth actually clicking in the silence of the room. “Essentially, you want to whore me out?”

Crowley shrugged. “Only for six months, Darling. The deal with him requires him to make his true love fall in love with him in six month’s time and if he doesn't, his soul is mine.”

“So, you're setting him up to fail.” Dean clicked his tongue, contemplating. “What do I get for being a prostitute for the next six months?”

Crowley looked over Dean appreciatively. He knew what he wanted. He grinned languidly, “In return for playing the role of this young man's true love, I will give you back your soul.” Dean frowned slightly as Crowley descended from his throne and stood toe-to-toe with one of his best demons. “Do this,” he leaned in and whispered in Dean’s ear, “and I will release you from all your obligations to Hell,” he smirked, “to me.” Crowley lifted his chin to look Dean in the eye, “Wouldn’t you like that, Dean? Hmm? No more Crossroad Demon, able to go back to your brother, to Sammy. End his five year search for you?”

Dean arched an eyebrow, holding back his grunt of amusement. “Let me get this straight… You’ll give me back my life, my soul,” his eyes narrowed, “and all I have to do is play some lonely schmuck’s boyfriend for the next six months?”

Crowley nodded. “That's the deal. Simple really,” he turned back toward his throne. “You just simply mustn't fall in love with him.” He retook his seat, “Because, Dean? If you do? You’re still mine,” he looked at Dean through hooded eyes, steepling his hands, “and I will torture you like no one has been tortured in the _history_ of torture. Do you understand? No, better, yet,” he lounged back into his throne, “do we have a deal?”

Dean pushed off the table and snorted. “You don't gotta worry about me fallin’ in love.” He walked up the steps to the throne and placed one hand on a velvet clad arm rest while the other wound in Crowley’s tie. Dean pulled the king into a brief, harsh kiss. “And, hell yeah, we got a deal,” he stood back up and winked.

“What, no tongue,” Crowley teased.

“Sorry, but I'm not that type of demon,” Dean joked back before he continued, “So tell me all about my soon-to-be boyfriend.”

“His name is Castiel,” Crowley began.

Dean snickered. “What kind a name is _Castiel_ anyway?”

Crowley raised an eyebrow. “It's an Angel's name, actually.”

“An angel and a demon.” Dean waggled his eyebrows. “Kinky.”

Crowley looked unimpressed and huffed, “Will you keep your libido in check and let me continue?” 

Dean motioned for him to go on, smirking. 

“As I was saying,” Crowley continued smoothly, “his name is Castiel Novak, he's 36 years old. Teaches kindergarten at Lawrence Elementary, which happens to be right across the street from an auto shop.” Crowley’s lips curled up into his own smirk. “Weren't you an auto mechanic before you became a demon?”

Dean scowled. “You know damn well I was! You came to the shop I was working at to collect me when my time was up.”

“Hey, at least _I_ came to collect you instead of sending my Hell Hounds. I even let you keep your meat suit,” Crowley quipped back, ignoring Dean’s pointed glare. “Anyway, moving on… I happen to know that they are in need of a good mechanic, and I have also taken the liberty of setting you up in Castiel's apartment complex. In fact,” Crowley smoothed his tie, “you’ll be his next door neighbor.”

“So, I prostitute myself _and_ do the daily grind?” Dean sighed and then peered closely at Crowley, “Do I want to know what happened to the shop’s last mechanic or Castiel's neighbor?” 

Crowley rocked his head from side to side, and shook his head. “Probably not.”

Dean nodded, thinking for a moment. “You got a picture of my ‘ _True Love_ ’,” he mockingly sing-songed.

Crowley snapped his fingers and Novak’s driver's license appeared in Dean’s hand. 

The demon examined the photo closely. Castiel had dark, dark brown hair, so dark it was almost black and it was mussed up in a way that looked like the guy had been fucked hard while someone anchored their bodies together by threading their fingers through that hair. He had a strong jaw line, with just the right amount of stubble. Dean could almost feel the phantom scratching of that stubble against his thighs as he worked Dean over. But it was his eyes that had Dean continuing to stare at the picture. They were blue, but unlike any blue he had ever seen. An ethereal blue… a shade that mimicked the ocean after a chaotic storm. 

Dean shook his head and looked up once he realized how long he’d been staring and was met with a look of amusement on Crowley's face. Dean shrugged nonchalantly, trying to play off his attraction. “At least the dude’s easy on the eyes.”

Crowley cleared his throat. “Yes, I suppose that is a plus.”

“I don't get it, you are all about soul collection. Why are you willing to trade my soul for his? Why even give me a choice?” Dean clucked his tongue, “Not that I'm complaining, because, fuck yeah, I want my life back, but I just don't get it.” He shook his head and took a step closer to his King. “You're breaking even, and if there's one thing I've learned about you over the past five years, Crowley? It's that you like to come out on top. So what is it about this Castiel guy?” Dean looked back down at the picture in his hand before flicking his eyes back up at Crowley for his answer.

Crowley's face took on an expression of someone who was calculating, someone who wanted to choose their next words very wisely. “Well, I made the deal with you to buy your silence. I don't want anyone else knowing about this deal… Not just yet.” 

Dean saw him pause, weighing the rest of his words. 

“And as for why I want Castiel?” Crowley shrugged nonchalantly but his eyes held a warning, “Let's just say I have my reasons and leave it at that. I'm giving you a deal of a lifetime, and it’s not for you to question my motives. Just play your part, Dean, that's all I'm asking of you… Oh and here.” Crowley handed Dean a thin wallet complete with a license of his own and a credit card. “It has no limit, use it how you see fit.”

Dean smiled and placed the wallet into his back pocket. “Good enough for me. I get what I want and so do you.” He gave Crowley a curt nod and started for the door

“Dean! One more thing.” 

Dean turned and waited.

“You will be completely human,” Crowley chuckled. “Can't have those demonic impulses getting in the way, now, can we?”

Dean rolled his eyes and then asked, “When do I start?”

Crowley raised his hand and snapped his fingers. “Right now.” He grinned to the empty throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the the first of many chapters! Kudos and comments are welcome! See you guys next Thursday! :)


	2. The Clock is Ticking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to my Betas thunderpuffin429, lotrspnfangirl, and ZephyrChrysalis. Also to lotrspnfangirl for turning Crowley's note into graphic art, and ZephyrChrysalis for the title banner.
> 
> Oh, and for those of you that read on a device that doesn't load pictures the contents of the note Crowley left for Dean is at the bottom of the chapter in the end notes.
> 
> Happy Reading!

“God dammit, Crowley! I hate when you do that,” Dean growled out as he felt his body jerk from Hell. “And really? Right fuckin’ now? It’s almost two in the morning!” Dean huffed and took in his new surroundings, smoothing his hands down his shirt, the pressure comforting and settling his stomach. 

He was standing outside of an apartment door. ‘ _This must be my new place_ ,’ Dean thought as he looked down at the boxes piled up in the hall by the door. He bent down to pry a few open; some were filled with books, others with cookware; a variety of odds and ends. “Couldn't you have at least moved me all the way in,” he mumbled as he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Dean stood back up and pushed it open to take a look around. He whistled as he entered, nodding his head appreciatively. “Nice.” 

The apartment was fully furnished and had an open floor plan that flowed from one room to the next. Dean wandered about, checking it out. The kitchen was state of the art, all stainless-steel appliances, complete with blood red marble countertops and maple cabinetry. A small breakfast bar separated the kitchen from the dining room where a rough-hewn maple table was surrounded by four matching chairs. A set of keys, which Dean presumed went to the apartment, had been placed on a deep rust colored placemat. 

Dean moved into the living room furnished with a couch, loveseat, and recliner upholstered in soft tobacco colored leather. A very large screen television was mounted on the wall, the shelf under it held movies, and a DVD player, the whole thing flanked by two tall shelf units. Dean already knew they would be perfect for holding the books in the boxes in the hall. His eyes flicked back to the TV and he grinned, imagining the evenings he’d spend watching his beloved Cowboys playing on the big screen. 

He walked down the hall to explore the rest of the place. The door to the right hid a guest bathroom, the door on the left was a laundry room, further down, at the very end of the hallway was the master bedroom. He swung open the door revealing a king-size bed with red silk sheets and a black comforter. Dean snorted and shook his head. ‘ _Classy Crowley,_ ’ he thought to himself, making a mental note to switch out the sheets for 1000-count Egyptian cotton. And definitely not red.

Dean opened the closet finding it filled with clothes of all kinds from casual to dressy. He closed the doors with a soft ‘snick’ and walked into the master bathroom before he whistled again. It was exactly what he would have designed for himself. 

The steam shower had multiple showerheads and controls gracing the walls. Dean noticed a bench on one side of the shower was just the right height for shower sex. He chuckled, thinking that Crowley had planned out mostly everything. Seriously, seducing this guy was going to be a piece of cake. The deep garden whirlpool tub was large enough for him to stretch out in, and definitely large enough to fit two comfortably. The entire room was tiled in a deep forest green with gold accents. Taking one last look around, he nodded before he shut the bathroom door. 

Looking back towards the front door, he sighed and rolled up his sleeves. “Better bring the rest of my shit in,” Dean muttered to himself. 

The hallway was empty as Dean started gathering his boxes. As the elevator dinged behind him Dean turned to see Castiel stepping out of it. Blue eyes locked with green and Castiel stumbled as he stepped out of the elevator. Dean looked back down at his boxes to hide the smirk that played across his lips. He picked up a box of books and rolled his eyes internally as he asked himself, ‘ _Why the hell does Crowley think I need all these books_?’ Suddenly, the bottom opened and all the books tumbled to the ground. Dean looked at the mess of books at his feet. “Shit.”

Castiel had bee-lined it for his front door shaking off the piercing green eyes. He didn’t need small talk, not right now. Today was tiring enough and he still hadn’t quite wrapped his head around the deal he’d just made with the Devil. Or, you know, Crossroads’ Demon. He was just opening his door when he heard a clatter. 

He turned towards the noise and looked over at his new neighbor who was holding a now empty box, the bottom of which had come open and books were scattered at his feet. Castiel bit back a sigh and put his keys back into his pocket before walking over to the man who had stooped down to stack the books. 

“Need some help?” 

Dean looked up at him and Castiel's heart started beating faster. The glance he’d gotten when the elevator opened was nothing compared to the man up close. This man was gorgeous; light brown hair, a spatter of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and his eyes were a beautiful shade of green, like a shamrock or emerald.

Castiel watched as the man ran his hand back through his hair, licked his lips, before they bloomed into the most charming smile Castiel had ever seen. “It's really late. I don't want to trouble you.”

Castiel bent down beside the man and started stacking the books into a second pile. “It's no trouble, I assure you. But I do have to ask, why are you moving in at two in the morning on a Saturday?”

“Does seem a bit odd, doesn't it?” The man laughed sheepishly, his ears turning a cute shade of pink. “I just moved here and I start my new job first thing Monday morning. Unfortunately, that leaves me with doing some night moving if I want to have my apartment semi-livable before I start work.”

Castiel picked up an armful of books and stood back up. “Anywhere specific you want these?”

His new neighbor stood up with his own armful of books and nodded towards the inside of his apartment, “Nah, man, anywhere in the living room is fine.”

Castiel stepped aside and followed him into the apartment, placing his pile of books down by the other man's. Castiel stood up and looked around. “You have a very nice apartment, uh--”

“Shit, where are my manners.” His hand shot out and Castiel grasped it firmly. “Dean, Dean Winchester. And you are?”

“Castiel Novak,” he replied with a small smile.

Dean pulled his hand back slowly, letting his fingers skim across Castiel’s. Castiel could feel his entire arm tingling and he forced himself to swallow and pull back. “Thank you, Castiel, for helping me with my books.”

Castiel followed Dean back out into the hallway and glanced around at the boxes. “Hey, Dean, why don't I help you get the rest of these boxes inside? It’s late--” he smiled warmly at Dean. “--and I’m sure you want to get done and get to bed.”

Dean picked up another box, holding it from the bottom this time. “I really don't want to put you out.”

Castiel shook his head and picked up a box. “Trust me, I don't mind.” He gave Dean what he hoped was a reassuring smile and felt his heart jump when Dean grinned back and nodded at him gratefully.

Thirty minutes later and they were bringing in the last of the boxes. Dean turned to Castiel once he’d put the last box in the kitchen and flashed him a wide smile. “Thank you so much. It would have taken me at least an hour to have finished that by myself.”

“Like I said, it was no problem.” 

“So, uhm, Castiel, you got plans for tomorrow night?” Dean asked as he started to unpack his cookware.

Castiel shook his head, his mouth suddenly dry and his arms aching slightly from lifting the boxes. “No, do you need help with something else?” His heart started to beat a little faster and he was suddenly wondering why his handsome new neighbor wanted to know if he had plans. 

Dean smiled at him and shook his head gently. “No, actually, I wanted to invite you over for dinner as a thank you for helping me tonight.” 

“Oh! You don't need to, I'm sure you’re busy. And I really didn’t mind helping,” Castiel tried to ignore the pang of disappointment that Dean felt he _needed_ to thank him.

“I want to! I'm a pretty damn good cook if I say so myself,” Dean argued back and gave a friendly wink. Castiel felt his cheeks start to warm at the prospect of having dinner with Dean, the disappointment he felt moments ago melted away.

“I-I’d love to, then.” He smiled and cleared his throat, forcing himself to look away from Dean’s piercing gaze. “I should get going though, I'm sure you’re worn out and I need to get some sleep.” 

Dean nodded his agreement and walked Castiel to the door.

“It was nice to meet you, Dean.”

Dean placed his hand over Castiel’s which was resting on the door frame. “Likewise, Castiel. See you tomorrow say... around seven? Does that work for you?”

“Yeah, yes, that sounds good. I will, uh--” Castiel stammered as he looked down at Dean’s hand on his, heat seeming to radiate from the other man’s palm. “I’ll bring dessert!”

Dean smiled and removed his hand slowly, his fingers once again dragging across Castiel’s skin. “Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

Dean shut his door softly as Castiel walked down the hallway in a daze. His heart pounded erratically, increasing with every step. He opened the door to his apartment, shut and locked it behind himself, before leaning against it. His hand still tingled where Dean had touched it. Castiel let his head fall back, thumping against the door as he took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He knew in his heart, in his _soul_ , what this meant.

“Looks like the countdown has started.” He whispered to the empty room.

Dean spent most the night and early morning getting his apartment in order before heading to bed. He didn't need much sleep, just a few hours and he would be good. His last conscious thought before falling to sleep was that it was strange needing sleep at all after spending the last five years as a demon.

He managed to get around four hours before he decided it was time to get up, he still had to go to the grocery store to get the supplies for his dinner with Castiel tonight. Dean’s stomach grumbled as he swung his feet over the side of the bed. His mouth had that pasty feeling that he had all but forgotten. In the past five years he’d forgotten what it was like to be human, to be hungry, to have to bathe, sleep. He let out a long sigh and stood, stretching his arms over his head and wincing when his back popped. “Might as well get the show on the road,” he mumbled as he ambled to the bathroom, feeling the needy pressure in his bladder. It was a cruel reminder of what it was like to have his humanity back. He rummaged through the box that he left on the counter last night, pulling out the soap, shampoo, and what he would need to shave. Dean ran his hand over his cheek, feeling the coarse hairs pricking his fingertips. He looked in the mirror and saw stubble for the first time in, well, five years. He sighed and grabbed the soap and shampoo, before stepping into the shower.

Once he was dressed and ready for the day, he strolled into the kitchen. He smiled when he noticed the box of donuts in the center of the bar. He opened the box and grabbed one of the maple glazed ones, taking a huge bite. “Thank you, Crowley,” he groaned around a huge mouthful of the sugary sweet pastry. 

Dean finished off three more donuts before he grabbed his keys off the table and headed out the door, locking it behind him. 

“Crowley, I hope to God you got me a car, too,” he muttered to himself when he got into the elevator. “I sure as fuck ain't taking the bus everywhere.”

He made his way out of the large building, and a quick glance at the pavement told him the parking spaces were designated by the apartment numbers. A wide grin spread across Dean’s face when he saw the vehicle parked in his assigned space. It was _his_ Baby, his beautiful sleek, black ’67 Chevy Impala. Dean ran his hand alongside the car before opening the door and sliding into the driver's seat. 

Five years. It had been five long years since he’d been behind the wheel of his Baby. Dean pulled down the visor, a key and a note dropped into his lap. He attached the key to the ring that held his apartment key before reading the note:

Dean started up the Impala and revved the engine. “Oh, Baby, it's been far too long. I have missed you.” Dean peeled out of the parking lot, laughing as he made his way to the grocery store.

Once inside, Dean bought everything he needed for his romantic dinner with Castiel that evening as well as enough groceries to last through the week. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but on his fourth trip from the car to the apartment, he was rethinking that. Once he got everything piled onto the counter and then put away, he kicked back on the couch and watched a few movies, something that had _definitely_ been lacking in Hell. 

At around five thirty, Dean took a shower and quickly pulled on some clothes. He smoothed his shirt out as he passed by the mirror and smiled; casual, yet, sexy as hell. “Well, better get started.” He rubbed his hands together and walked into kitchen.

Castiel had been excited from the moment he opened his eyes. 

He hadn't had dinner with someone other than his two best friends, Gabriel and Balthazar, in months. While he sat at the kitchen table drinking his coffee and eating a bagel, he began to wonder if this evening was a date. Dean had not specifically _said_ it was a date, but there had been some subtle flirtations and glances. Plus, Dean had placed his hand over Cas’ before he left last night.

After Castiel ate breakfast, he gathered the ingredients to make dessert for the night. He wished he had asked Dean what he liked. As Castiel gathered what he needed to make dough, he really hoped the other man liked pie. Then again, who _doesn’t_ like pie? After that reassuring thought, he smiled and got to work, mentally counting down the minutes until it was time for him to go to Dean’s.

The hours ticked by agonizingly slowly as he watched the clock, practically vibrating from excitement for his _maybe _date. When the clock struck seven, Castiel grabbed the pie and locked his apartment door behind him.__

__He took a deep breath and gave himself a quick once over before he knocked on the door, his heart was nearly pounding out of his chest. He looked good in his light blue jeans paired with a dark blue short sleeved button up and he’d tried to tame his hair but failed; it never seemed to cooperate. But his friends all said it suits him, so he had long ago given up the fight to subdue it. Moments after his last rap, the door opened and Dean was there._ _

__Cas felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Dean was highlighted by the setting sun and the large window behind him. It turned his hair the color of spun gold and enhanced the freckles that peppered his nose. He was wearing a deep red button down and black jeans that hugged his body in _all_ the right ways. Cas’ brain went offline until Dean spoke._ _

__“C’mon in,” he stepped away to let Cas in the door. “I need to finish with the sauce. It’s portabella Marsala. I hope that’s okay?”_ _

__“Yeah… yes.” Cas cleared his throat. “Smells delicious.”_ _

__Dean went back to the kitchen to continue to stir the sauce bubbling away on the stovetop. “I have an appetizer on the bar, why don't you come over, help yourself, and talk to me while I finish cooking.”_ _

__Castiel shut the door behind him and walked over to the bar, setting down the pie he brought beside the appetizer tray. Castiel noticed Dean eying the desert, and he suddenly felt nervous. “I hope you like pie,” Castiel said while he took a seat on one of the stools._ _

__Dean flashed Castiel a huge grin, his eyes coming up from the pastry to meet Castiel’s. “I love pie, it's my favorite!”_ _

__Castiel sighed, “Good. This is a homemade, double deep dish, bourbon pecan pie. It's twice the depth of a regular pie,” he preened seconds before he mentally kicked himself for sounding like a teenager with their first crush. Dean, thankfully, didn’t seem to notice._ _

__“Sounds amazing,” Dean moaned and licked his lips dramatically. He flashed another grin and added, “I can’t wait for a big slice of it.” Dean motioned to the crock of dip and warm tortilla chips, “Just pulled these from the oven a few minutes ago. Dig in.”_ _

__Castiel took a chip and dipped it into the creamy cheesy dip filled with spinach and artichokes. Taking a bite, he moaned, “Mmm this is amazing!”_ _

__“Thank you, I love to cook,” Dean stated as he flipped the filet mignon in the skillet. “Would you like a glass of wine, Castiel? I have some chilling in the freezer, and there are two glasses on the counter by the refrigerator.”_ _

__“I would. I’ll pour, you’re busy.” Castiel stood up, walked around the bar and behind Dean. He took the wine from the fridge and reached for the glasses. Dean made a motion to the drawer beside the fridge and Castiel located the corkscrew, popping open the wine before pouring them each a glass._ _

__Castiel handed one of them to Dean and watched him take a sip._ _

__Dean smiled at him, winking over the top of the glass. “Thanks.”_ _

__“Smells delicious,” Castiel said again, motioning to the items cooking on the stove and hopefully distracting Dean from noticing how pink his cheeks were from Dean winking at him. “What are you making?”_ _

__Dean took another drink of his wine, setting the glass down carefully beside the stove before answering. “Filet mignon with the portabella Marsala sauce I told you about, topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese. I made garlic mashed potatoes, a garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and rosemary olive dinner rolls.”_ _

__Castiel’s eyes widened. “Wow, you really outdid yourself.”_ _

__Dean shrugged and smiled at him. “I just really wanted to thank you for helping me last night. And like I said, I love cooking.”_ _

__Castiel grinned as he took a sip of his wine. “I would have been happy with a burger and some fries.”_ _

__Dean hummed. “I do make a mean burger. I’ll have to make you one… soon.”_ _

__Castiel sat back down at the bar and looked over at Dean, feeling something warm blossoming through his chest. “I look forward to trying it.” Castiel looked around and noticed there were no boxes to be found. “You must have worked all night and day to get everything put away. It looks great in here, by the way. But when did you find time to sleep?”_ _

__Dean pulled the steaks from the burner to let them finish cooking from the heat of the pan and joined Cas at the bar. “Thank you, it didn't take as long as I thought it would, and I managed to get a few hours. That's all I really need.” Dean leaned his hip against the bar, grabbed a chip, and scooped it deep into the dip. “So, Castiel, what do you do,” he asked before popping the chip into his mouth._ _

__Castiel chewed the bite he had just taken before answering, “I teach kindergarten at Lawrence Elementary.”_ _

__Dean walked back over to the stove and opened the oven to check on the rolls. He looked over his shoulder. “What made you want to be a teacher?”_ _

__Castiel hummed, thinking it over. “I wanted to make a positive difference in the future of today's children. I can’t think of any job as important to society as teaching. For me, it's a fulfilling challenge. I just wanted to give the children I teach the best start in life.” He took a sip of his wine, then looked up and asked, “What do you do Dean?”_ _

__Dean took the rolls out of the oven and set the timer for five more minutes and put the potatoes into warm. “I'm an auto mechanic. I started working on cars with my daddy as soon as I could walk and I loved it. So when I graduated high school, and had no desire to go onto college, I started working at my uncle's shop. Been doing it ever since.”_ _

__Dean plated the steaks and topped them with the sauce and parmesan cheese. He then took the mashed potatoes out of the oven and placed it on the table along with a platter of rolls, the salad and salad bowls, along with a dish of fresh butter. He took the two plates with the steaks and sat them on the table last before motioning Castiel to join him. “Come on, let's eat while everything is hot.”_ _

__Castiel grabbed the wine bottle and refilled his and Dean’s glasses before slipping into the proffered chair. “Everything looks and smells amazing, Dean,” Castiel said as he piled his plate high with food._ _

__Dean grinned. “Well let's hope everything tastes as good as it looks and smells.”_ _

__Castiel groaned around his first bite of the filet mignon and nodded his head enthusiastically. “This is delicious, Dean! You should have been a chef.”_ _

__Dean winked flirtatiously, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Thanks, Cas.”_ _

__Castiel pursed his lips. “Cas?”_ _

__Dean ran his hand across the back of his neck. “Uh, yeah it's a habit of mine, shortening names. I'm sorry--”_ _

__Castiel shook his head. “No, don’t be, I like it. No one has ever shortened my name like that before. My two best friends gave me a nickname because they said my name is a bit of a mouthful, but I don't like it. Yours, I like.”_ _

__Dean smiled. “Good, because I think it suits you. So, what's the nickname they gave you?”_ _

__“Not a chance I'm telling you that!” Castiel smirked before he cleared his throat. “So, Dean, where are you going to be working?”_ _

__Dean laughed. “Nice subject change,” he teased. “Expert Auto, you heard of it?” Dean looked at his plate and cut his meat before spearing a piece with his fork._ _

__Cas huffed a small laugh. “Actually, I have. It's right across from the elementary school.”_ _

__Dean grinned and lifted his wine glass, tipping it towards Castiel in a toast. “Small world, huh?”_ _

__Castiel lifted his glass in return and nodded. For the rest of the meal, the two of them continued exchanging pleasant conversation. When they were finished eating, Cas helped Dean clear the table and put away the leftovers. They did the dishes together side by side._ _

__When everything was in the drying rack, Dean smiled at Cas as he started making a pot of coffee. “Can't have pecan pie without coffee.” He opened the cabinet by the refrigerator and pulled out two saucers and mugs. He set them on the bar by the pie and turned to open the utility drawer, retrieving a knife and two forks. “What do you say we cut this beauty, and enjoy dessert in the living room?”_ _

__Castiel smiled. “That sounds good to me.”_ _

__Dean cut a hefty slice of pie for each of them as Castiel poured the coffee. Dean led them into the living room, he took the plates while Castiel carried the mugs. Dean sat down on the couch and Cas sat beside him, handing him his cup of coffee with a small smile before Dean passed him his dessert. Castiel chewed on his bottom lip, again wondering to himself, was this a date? He took a deep breath. _Well, only one way to find out for sure…_ _ _

__“Dean? Is this, has tonight been a… uh, what I'm trying to ask--”_ _

__Dean smirked and took pity on him, licking a stray drop of filling from his lip as he asked, “You want to know if tonight has been a date?”_ _

__Cas nodded shyly, clenching the plate so his hands wouldn’t shake._ _

__“Well I sure as hell hope so,” Dean grinned, “because I have been thinking it was all night. That is, if you _want_ it to be a date, Cas. Do you?”_ _

__Castiel nodded again, swallowing the large lump that had formed in his throat and feeling himself finally relax. “Yeah, Dean, I want this to be a date.”_ _

__Dean grinned, leaning closer to Castiel as he said softly, “Good, and I’ve got to say this has been the best date I have had in a _very_ long time.”_ _

__Cas smiled back, finally taking a small bite of his pie. He chewed slowly, then swallowed before saying, “Me too, Dean. I have really enjoyed myself.”_ _

__“I'm glad.” Dean took another bite of the pie Cas had made and made a noise that was nothing short of orgasmic. Castiel felt himself blush and he realized he’d missed that sound the first time around when he’d been too preoccupied with wondering what _this_ truly was. Dean groaned again and said, “Cas, this is like the best pie I have had in my entire life.”_ _

__Castiel grinned ear to ear. “I don't know, Dean, you haven't had my caramel apple or my strawberry. My mixed berry is pretty damn good, too, or so I have been told.”_ _

__“What time do you get off tomorrow, Cas?” Dean questioned, changing the subject so abruptly Castiel blinked to make sure he heard him right._ _

__He wiped the crumbs off his lips and replied, “I get off at three and I'm home by three thirty, why?”_ _

__Dean smiled. “Well, I get off at four and I'm going to make you my famous burgers and homemade garlic parm potato wedges. And you are going to bring another one of your delicious pies.” Dean’s smile turned shy and his gaze focused on the half slice still on his plate. “I would really like another date with you if I'm being completely honest here.”_ _

__Cas bit his bottom lip, holding back the excited yell that was threatening to escape. “I would like that, too.”_ _

__“So are we on for tomorrow?” Dean asked, his tone hopeful. Castiel nodded, beaming back at the wide smile Dean flashed him. “Great! It's a date then.”_ _

__They finished off their pie in companionable silence, both of them leaning back against the couch after depositing their plates on the coffee table. Castiel turned his body to face Dean and found the other man had done the same._ _

__“Where did you move from?” Castiel broke the silence._ _

__“California,” Dean replied. “I lived there with my brother while he attended Stanford Law, and once he graduated, I decided it was time for a change of scenery. And you Cas? Have you lived in Lawrence your whole life?”_ _

__Castiel hummed and nodded. “I have. You mentioned a brother, do you have any other family?”_ _

__“My Uncle Bobby. Well technically he's not _really_ my uncle, he was a close friend of my Dad’s, but I have always considered him family.” Dean shifted in his seat, a sad look marring his face. “My mom died when I was four in a house fire and my dad drunk himself into an early grave. He... died when I was sixteen. Uncle Bobby took me and Sam in. If I'm totally being honest he was more like a dad to us than our old man ever was.”_ _

__“I'm sorry,” Cas replied sincerely._ _

__Dean nodded and gave him a small smile. “What about you Cas, any siblings?”_ _

__Castiel shrugged. “I wouldn't know.” At Dean's confused look he continued. “I never knew my parents. I was found in a bassinet by a nun on the steps of Morning Star Parish with a note saying my name was Castiel and my date of birth. I was raised there with four other children until I was adopted at five. My foster parents, Chuck and Rebecca, are wonderful people and they treat me like their son. I’ve never felt like I didn't belong with them. I was their only child and they spoiled me, hell they still do. I am very lucky to have them.”_ _

__Dean patted him on the knee. “They are your family in every sense of the word. My uncle Bobby once told me, ‘ _Family don't end with blood_ ’, and that right there is the perfect example of what he meant.”_ _

__Castiel opened his mouth to speak but was overwhelmed by a huge yawn. He flushed, embarrassed as Dean looked down at his watch. “No wonder you're tired, Cas, it’s past eleven! You and I both need to get some sleep… as much as I hate for this night to end.”_ _

__Cas sighed and slightly pouted. “I suppose you're right, six comes awfully early.”_ _

__Dean stood and took Cas’ hand, helping him up with a smile. “Let me walk you to the door. Oh, and don't forget your pie.”_ _

__Castiel shook his head, loving the way Dean’s hand felt in his own. “You keep it. I'm sure it will get eaten if I let you have it.”_ _

__Dean winked. “Damn right it will.”_ _

__Still holding Cas’ hand, Dean gently stopping him from walking when they reached the door. Castiel was just about to open it when Dean spoke, “Cas, wait, I really would like to kiss you. Can I?”_ _

__Castiel nodded and he felt a faint flush creep up on his cheeks as he whispered, “Yes.”_ _

__Dean released his hand and raised it to cup Cas’ cheek, stroking his thumb over the stubble there. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Castiel’s warm, soft ones. It wasn't a long kiss, just a brush of their lips, and chaste, but it had Castiel's heart beating like the wings of a hummingbird. He felt Dean smiling against his lips, as if he knew exactly how he affected Castiel. As Dean stepped back, his hand still cradled Castiel’s face, his thumb still stroking Castiel’s jaw line._ _

__“Wow,” Dean whispered._ _

__“Wow,” Castiel parroted, swallowing hard._ _

__Dean withdrew his hand slowly, giving Castiel a soft, warm smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow at seven, Cas. And just so you know, I can't wait.”_ _

__Castiel smiled. “Me either, Dean.”_ _

__Castiel's heart was still fluttering as he crawled into bed that night. He still wasn't sure if Dean would fall in love with him in six months’ time. He certainly hoped so with what was on the line, but one thing he _was_ already sure of was that he could _definitely_ fall in love with Dean in that amount of time._ _

____

Dean shut the door and smirked. ‘ _He got so damn excited over a little kiss. Stringing this schmuck along is going to be a piece of cake. Even better -- a slice of pie! The guy is clearly desperate to be loved_ ,’ Dean mused as he sliced another piece of pie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is Crowley’s note to Dean.
> 
> I figured you would fancy having your precious car. 
> 
> So enjoy, and don't say I have never done anything for you. -C
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Comments and kudos welcome. See you guys next Thursday! :)


	3. The Way to a Man's Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to my Betas thunderpuffin429, lotrspnfangirl, and ZephyrChrysalis. Also to lotrspnfangirl for the two pieces of art in this chapter, and ZephyrChrysalis for the title banner.
> 
> Oh, and at the end of the fic is a link that will take you to another page with character cards (made by ZephyrChrysalis) of the Characters in this fic. 
> 
> Happy Reading!

Dean pushed off from the counter where he had been leaning eating his slice of pie. He dumped his plate in the sink, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and walked back into the living room. He plopped down on the couch and turned the TV on, choking on his beer when he saw Crowley's smug smiling face staring back at him. He was sitting in his high back, red leather throne and holding a glass of scotch in his hand. _‘Macallan 1939 no doubt, the pompous ass_ ,’ Dean thought as he placed his beer on the side table and frowned down at his damp shirt. “Really?” He wiped his hands on his jeans and scowled at the TV. “Damn it, Crowley, was that necessary? You made me spill my beer.”

Crowley smiled. “No, not really, but it was fun.” Dean rolled his eyes and listened to his king as he continued. “So, you met Castiel. How did it go?”

Dean furrowed his brow. “How did you know we alr--”

Crowley held up his hand, twisting it with a flourish. “King of Hell here, _I know all_. I know the exact minute he laid eyes on you.” He ran his thumb over the sleek silver pocket watch he held in his other hand. “The countdown started at two o’clock last night, so at exactly two a.m. on March 20th, his soul,” Crowley held up his glass of scotch tipping it in Dean's direction before taking a sip, “is _mine_. As I asked before, how did it go?”

Dean smiled and reached for his beer again, taking a swig before he answered, “I'd say it went pretty good. We had our first date tonight and a second one is lined up for tomorrow.”

Crowley quirked an amused brow. “Well, well, Winchester, you sure do move fast.”

“The dude’s so desperate to be loved. If I play my cards right, I’m sure he’ll let me fuck him. Hell, I bet I can get him to beg for it.” Dean snorted into his beer. “This is going to be a cakewalk, man. I almost feel sorry for him.”

Crowley shook his head. “Now don't go and let those pesky human feelings get in your way, Dean.”

Dean finished his beer and looked at Crowley on the screen. “I said _almost_. I know what's waiting for me at the end of these six months and trust me when I say _nothing_ is going to get in the way of me getting my life back.”

Crowley hummed. “You remember that when he bats those baby blues at you.”

“Please,” Dean scoffed as he got up to toss the empty beer bottle in the trash and fetched another one. “I have _never_ fallen for anyone and I don't plan on starting now. I'm not that kind of guy.” He grinned impishly and brought the bottle to his lips downing half the beer in one go. “I'm more of a love em’ and leave em’ kind of man. And with what's on the line? Believe me, you have nothing to worry about.” Dean gave Crowley a sharp nod as he sank back down on the couch. “Castiel's soul will be all yours in six short months and I will be free and able to see Sammy again. Win, win for us both.”

Crowley laughed. “Now _that's_ the Winchester that makes my nether regions all tingly.” He took another sip of his scotch and fixed Dean with a deadly serious look. “I have complete faith in you, Dean, that's why I chose you. Just don't forget what's waiting for you if you fail me.” 

Dean nodded slowly as he repressed a shiver and took a large gulp of his beer, trying his damnedest to look indifferent. He knew Crowley could be very inventive when it came to torturing those who failed him. “That won't happen. As I said, his soul is yours in six months.”

Crowley tossed back the rest of his scotch and cleared his throat before he spoke, promising, “Talk to you soon, Dean.” Crowley's face faded from the TV and was replaced by some shitty late night sitcom. Dean drained the rest of his beer and tossed the empty bottle in the trash as he headed to bed. After all, he had human things to do tomorrow, including a job interview bright and early.

Castiel was smiling and humming along to the radio as he filled his thermos with coffee in the teacher’s lounge. Gabriel Messenger and Balthazar Milton, his best friends since college, exchanged amused glances before turning back to watch him. Gabriel stared at him, calculating his movements. “Something's up with Cassie... he's in far too good of a mood on a Monday morning.”

Balthazar turned to face Gabriel a huge grin on his face, “You think he meet someone?”

Before Gabriel could answer Castiel was joining them at the table, eyeing his friends who were grinning widely.

Gabriel popped a peppermint into his mouth. “Alright, who is he?”

Castiel steeled his expression and tried to feign innocence. “I have no idea what you are talking about. There is no ‘he’.”

Balthazar raised an eyebrow. “Cassie, you are a horrible liar. Now, I demand you dish. Did you get laid? _Please_ tell me you got laid.”

“How many times have I told you not to call me Cassie, Zar!” Castiel snorted and shook his head. “And is sex all you think about?”

Balthazar smirked as he answered his friend, “Clearly not enough seeing as I still do it… _Cassie_ and generally yes. Darling,” Balthazar gave a dramatic sigh and leaned forward, “It’s been over a year since you’ve gotten any. Surely, you are in desperate need of having your pipes cleaned.”

“Zar!” Castiel hissed and looked around to make sure no one heard his loudmouthed friend and mumbled, “My plumbing is none of your business.”

Gabriel crunched the hard candy between his teeth. “But there _is_ a guy, right?”

Cas couldn’t hold back the smile this time. “If you must know, yes, there is a guy. He's my new next door neighbor. I met him late Saturday night.” Castiel fiddled with a packet of sugar on the table as he continued, “Though I had no idea Mr. Jenkins was planning on moving out. But I'm really glad he did.” Castiel sighed, remembering the moment he laid eyes on Dean. “I stepped out of the elevator and saw him moving in. I went to unlock my door and heard a crash. He’d dropped a box full of books, they spilled everywhere so I walked over and asked if I could help.” Castiel took a sip of his coffee and shrugged, “I helped him move the rest of his boxes in and he invited me to have dinner with him on Sunday… and I did.” 

“Oooohh, next door neighbor!” Zar perked up. “This is wonderful -- easy access for late night booty calls! This is very promising, Cassie.” 

“Totally agree,” Gabriel grinned and got a glint in his eye. “Sooo, how hot is he? Does he have a big-”

“Gabe!” Castiel cut his friend off.

“Heart, Cassie. I was going to say _heart_.” Gabriel shook his head, crunching on the rest of his candy. “Get your mind out of the gutter… Okay, no more teasing, at least for the moment.” Gabe bounced his brows playfully before continuing, “Tell us all about him.”

Castiel took a sip of his coffee. “Well, his name is Dean, and he's a mechanic. Today is actually his first day at Expert Auto.”

Gabriel unwrapped another peppermint, slipping the sweet into his mouth and sucking it obscenely before asking, “The shop across the street?”

Castiel nodded. “Yes, and he moved here from California where he lived while his little brother attended law school at Stanford. His brother’s graduated. He said he wanted a change of scenery.” Castiel bit his bottom lip as a faint blush spread across his cheeks. He hesitated for a moment before adding, “And I have another date with him tonight.”

Balthazar reached across the table and slapped Cas on the shoulder. “That's my _Cassienova_ , two dates in two days!”

Gabriel wiped a fake tear away and looked over at Zar. “We have taught him so well. Our little heart breaker is all grown up!” Cas rolled his eyes and Gabe continued, looking back at Castiel, his expression serious now. “Honestly, that's great Cassie, really it is. What do you two have planned?”

Castiel smiled again. “He's making dinner for me again.”

Zar wiggled his eyebrows. “And are you planning to be desert, Cassie?”

“It's only fair,” Gabriel grinned ear to ear. “he cooks and you put out!”

Castiel laughed as the first bell rang. He stood up and bumped his shoulder against Zar’s then Gabe’s. “You two are pigs, you know that? I don't know why I hang out with you guys.”

Balthazar wrapped his arm around Castiel's shoulder and pulled him in, kissing him on the top the head. “Because you love us and your life would be incredibly dull without us in it.” Gabriel nodded as Castiel pulled out of Zar’s grip.

Castiel grabbed his thermos of coffee off the table and headed towards the hallway. “Now, if you two heathens will excuse me, I have a class to teach.”

“We want the juicy details!” Gabriel called out to Castiel's retreating figure. “Oh! And make sure lover boy uses protection!” 

Castiel spun around and glared at his friends.

Zar shrugged. “Remember, Cassie, ‘no glove, no love’.”

Castiel shook his head and turned, picking up his pace to walk a little faster to his classroom. He could still hear Gabe and Zar laughing when he made it to the door.

Dean pulled out the red rag he’d stuffed in his back pocket to wipe off his oil stained hands. His job interview had gone really well. Once Dean explained to the extent of his mechanic background and just how long he’d been working on cars, the owner and manager of the place, Rufus Turner, hired him on the spot. While he led Dean through the garage he grumbled about how his last mechanic up and disappeared leaving him shorthanded. Rufus led Dean to the second bay, “Here’s your first patient,” he pointed to a ‘68 Camaro, “busted tranny.” Rufus eyed the younger mechanic, “You think you can fix her up?” 

Dean smirked at his as he rubbed his hands together eager to get going, “Piece of cake.”

Rufus patted him on the shoulder before turning, “That's what I like to hear, boy.”

The day passed quickly, Dean was in his element here, greasy and hands deep in an engine. He looked up at the clock. Ten minutes ‘til quittin’ time. Damn time had flown by! He forgot how much he’d missed this type of work. Maybe doing the daily grind wouldn’t be so bad after all. He took off the coveralls Mr. Turner had provided for him and hung them on the rack by the entry door. Walking over to the sink he scrubbed his hands clean before he went to thank his new boss for the opportunity again. He gave him a quick rundown of the progress on the Camaro’s transmission.

Turner looked up at Dean and he saw the look of surprise on the old man's features, “You got all that done? You’re that far into the rebuild?”

Dean shrugged, “Yeah, I should finish it around midday tomorrow.”

Rufus nodded, “That’s impressive, Winchester. Damned impressive.” He sat back in his chair and moved the toothpick he’d been sucking on to the other side of his mouth, “You keep up the good work, son, and you may become one of my better workers.”

Dean grinned, “Be my pleasure, Mr. Turner.” He jammed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I love working on cars, classics especially.” 

“Good to hear, and call me Rufus boy, my daddy was Mr. Turner.” He motioned towards the door, “Now you get on outta here, Winchester.” 

Dean laughed as he pushed it open. “You don't gotta tell me twice.”

At home, freshly showered and shaved, Dean looked through his closet. He settled on a pair of denim acid washed jeans and a tight, light blue button up. He quickly dressed and went into the kitchen, grabbing a beer and the package of hamburger from the fridge. Placing the meat on the counter he popped the top on the beer and took a long gulp before setting it down beside him. 

Dean set about mixing up his special burgers with a variety of spices that were only known to him. But they had been surefire winners in the past.

When Dean had finished making the patties, he washed his hands and covered the plate that held four thick perfectly shaped patties with plastic wrap and placed it in the refrigerator. He grabbed the bag of potatoes and sat on the stool before he started to peel enough for him and Cas. His mind drifted with the soothing sound of the peeler on the smooth veggie and he found himself wondering what Cas was doing.

Castiel had been excited all day, so much so that even his students had noticed his especially good mood. One his little ones, Sara, walked up to his desk and asked him why he was smiling so much. He was surprised that someone so young had noticed. “Well, Sara, I have a play date after school.” Sara grinned happily at him, her two front teeth missing, and told him to have ‘the most fun ever’.

Zar and Gabe teased him relentlessly at lunch, but Castiel knew it was just how his friends were and it was all in good fun. He had no doubt they were happy for him, he could tell by the way they smiled at him every time he mentioned Dean’s name. 

As much as he loved his job teaching and molding young minds, he was thrilled when the final bell of the day rang. Castiel couldn't remember one time in his years working at Lawrence Elementary when he’d ever rushed to get out of there like he did today.

Once he made it home he immediately got to work making a caramel apple pie. He made the crust and pressed it in the pan before he opened the bag of caramel bits and poured them into a saucepan placing them on a low heat. He grabbed the other small saucepan and added butter, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and water. He mixed the ingredients together before placing the pot on the burner turning it to medium heat. 

As he stirred the caramel, he thought about what it would be like to lick the sweet sticky treat from Dean’s lips. The man had such full kissable lips. They had felt so good pressed against Castiel’s last night as brief as the kiss was. 

As he cut the crisp green apples the juices wet his fingers and again his thoughts were drawn back to Dean’s mouth, of Dean sucking the tart juices from his fingers. He blushed slightly at his thoughts as he positioned the apples in the pressed pie crust. As he waited for the sauces to reach their peak of readiness, his traitorous brain provided different scenarios of things he could do with Dean, and the pie. 

He stirred the caramel once more before pouring half the mixture over the sliced apples. The lattice top was the pièce de résistance for this pie and Castiel worked to weave it perfectly, sprinkling it with cinnamon and sugar before he placed it in the oven. 

With the pie baking, Castiel took that time to shower, shave, and dress. He opted to wear a pair of black jeans and a dark blue shirt. Once dressed he liked what he saw in the mirror and wondered what Dean would think. He could have chosen something dressier, but he didn't want to come across as trying too hard. Besides, the tight black jeans showed off his ass and package nicely while the dark indigo shirt brought out the blue in his eyes. 

The oven timer dinged and he took one final look in the mirror before deeming this outfit to be good enough for their date and walked into the kitchen to remove the pie from the oven. He set it on a rack to cool before he sat another timer, this time for an hour. The pie looked perfect and he hoped Dean liked this one as much as he had the pecan. The smile and noises Dean made as he ate the pie last night, Castiel would very much like to see that smile and hear those noises again. He fished his watch from his pocket. It would be six forty-five when the hour was up and by the time he re-melted the caramel and drizzled over the pie it would be time to go. Castiel found himself getting anxious, he couldn’t wait. 

He’d only known the man for a few days, but Castiel could already tell he was developing feelings for him. Strong feelings. Castiel smiled to himself as he thought about their date last night. It was perfect. 

He sighed and sat down on the couch, turning on the TV to help pass the time. He jumped when the timer went off. He had no idea what had been on the TV. He’d replayed their kiss and imagined a kiss for later tonight. He hoped at least there would be another. Before he knew it, the hour had flown by. 

He dressed the pie with a generous drizzle of caramel and headed over to Dean’s place. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he walked the short distance to the man’s apartment.

Castiel’s knock on Dean’s door was met with a muffled, “Doors unlocked, Cas!” As he walked in he saw Dean standing by his opened refrigerator pulling out two beers. Dean smiled at him. “Well, don't just stand there, make yourself at home.” 

Shutting the door with his foot, Castiel walked over and put the pie down on the bar. Dean looked over Cas’ shoulder and took a deep breath. “Mmm, smells delicious.”

Castiel smiled. “Thank you, it's caramel apple.”

Dean pressed a beer into Cas’ hands and winked at him. “I was talking about you, but the pie smells good, too.” 

“Oh, um... Th-thank you?” Castiel stuttered as his cheeks tinged pink.

Dean laughed and took a swig of his beer. “You're cute, Cas.” The compliment made Castiel's blush deepen.

Castiel took a drink of his beer, hoping to hide his reaction from the other man. “So, do you need any help?”

Dean shook his head as he retrieved the plate with the burger patties on it from the refrigerator. “Nope, I got garlic parm potato wedges in the oven baking and all I have to do is fry up the burgers.” Dean placed the burgers in a hot skillet that Cas had missed. They hit the metal with a satisfying hiss. Dean looked over his shoulder at Cas, giving him a small smile. “But I wouldn't say no to some company.”

Castiel nodded and leaned against the bar. “Oh! Those smell wonderful!”

Dean wagged his brows, “My secret recipe!”

“I can’t wait,” Cas sniffed deeply, “I’m sure they’ll taste as good as they smell.”

Dean rocked his head as he sprinkled just a smattering of water in the pan.

“So,” Cas took a swig of his beer, “how was your first day at work?”

“Great, I'm working on a ’68 Camaro, she's a real beauty. Not as good as my Baby, but damn close.” Dean checked on the wedges and leaned up against the bar across the corner from Cas while he waited for the burgers to be ready to flip. “I worked on restoring the transmission today. I should finish that around lunch tomorrow, then I'm gonna start overhauling the engine.”

Castiel smiled. “So what do you drive then? It's gotta be pretty amazing to be better than a ’68 Camaro.”

Dean returned his smile as he answered, “’67 Chevy Impala.”

Castiel's eyes widened. “That's your black Impala in the garage?”

“Yup,” Dean replied in a proud tone. “She’s my Baby.” 

Castiel whistled. “She's something, Dean!” 

Dean smirked and gave an exaggerated wink. “Be a good boy, Cas, and I'll take you for a ride.”

Castiel ran his fingers over the neck of his beer bottle, swallowing hard as he asked, “We are still talking about the car, aren't we?”

Dean mock gasped and placed his hand over his heart. “My, my, Castiel, was that a flirtation?”

Castiel peered at Dean through his lashes, giving him his best seductive look. “It might have been.”

Dean came around the bar, leaning into Cas’ space. He could feel the heat from Castiel’s body and he smiled against his ear as he whispered, “If you’re a _real_ good boy, Cas, I will let you ride whatever you want.”

Dean could feel Castiel’s smile and he pulled back with a matching one, giving him a quick peck on the lips. Castiel could practically feel the warmth radiating from his cheeks and he couldn’t stop as the smile spread wide across his face. Dean pulled back and winked at the beautiful blush illuminating Cas’ face.

Castiel cleared his throat. “You are really something, Dean.”

“Something good I hope,” he quipped as he went to check on the hamburger patties. Dean flipped them and went back over to his spot by the bar. “So how was your day Cas?”

“It was good.” Castiel laughed. “My two best friends did tease me relentlessly about you though.”

Dean arched his eyebrow as he smirked at Cas. “You told your friends about me?” He bit his bottom lip to stifle the laughter that threatened to spill past his lips as Cas started to blush again.

Castiel shook his head quickly. “No, I came into work happy and they are like dogs with bones. They figured it out… pretty quickly, actually.”

Dean smiled at him. “I’ve been happy all day too, Cas. I couldn't wait to see you again.”

Castiel returned the smile. “Me too, Dean.”

Dean’s grin widened as he flipped the wedges in the oven before asking, “Tell me about your friends, Cas.” He shut the oven door and turned towards the fridge, taking condiments and toppings for the burgers out and setting them on the counter.

“Well, Balthazar and Gabriel, but I call them Zar and Gabe, have been my best friends since my first year of college.” Castiel helped Dean bring everything over to the dining room table, talking as they moved. “They also teach at Lawrence Elementary. Gabriel teaches first grade and Zar teaches second.” Castiel sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. “They both can be a handful sometimes, Gabe with his pranks and Zar, well he's-” Cas shook his head. “I don't even know how to describe him.”

Dean placed the burgers on the buns and loaded each plate down with potato wedges before he handed one to Cas. “They sound like my kind of guys.”

Castiel grinned as they sat down at the table and began dressing their burgers. “Do you have many friends you miss back in California?”

Dean dragged a potato wedge through the blob of ketchup on his plate and gave a small shrug. “Nah, I really didn't have any friends. I do miss Sammy and Bobby though. This is the longest I’ve ever been away from Sam. But I’ll see him again soon.”

Castiel nodded and moaned around his first bite of burger. “These make me _very_ happy.”

Dean laughed. “I'm glad, Cas,” he said softly as he took a bite of his own.

After dinner Castiel insisted on helping Dean clean up. Once Dean placed the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on, he smiled at Cas. “All done. What do you say we slice into that pie and watch a movie?”

Castiel finished wiping down the stove and laid the rag across the sink’s faucet. “Sounds like a plan,” he replied and tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

Dean plated two pieces of pie before he turned to rummage through his freezer. “Ah hah!” Dean pulled out a container of vanilla bean ice cream. “You want a scoop of ice cream on top of yours?”

“Yes, please,” Castiel replied.

Dean picked up his plate and carried it across the kitchen. “I'm going to heat mine up in the microwave, want me to do that to yours too?” he asked as he popped open the door and set his plate down, adding 45 seconds to the timer. 

“Of course, nothing better than warm apple pie topped with ice cream,” Cas stated, matter-of-factly, in a teasing tone. Dean rolled his eyes playfully and pulled Cas’ plate from his hands. Once the microwave dinged, he switched the plates and once they were both ready, he scooped out a large helping of ice cream onto each slice.

When they were seated on the couch Dean turned to look at Castiel. “Wanna watch a scary movie?”

Castiel raised an eyebrow. “Dean Winchester, are you trying to scare me into cuddling with you?”

Dean pursed his lips and hummed in mock contemplation. “Maybe I am, Castiel Novak.” He paused and winked at Castiel before asking, “Will it work?”

Castiel took a bite of his pie and licked the fork slowly, Dean’s eyes tracking the movements. “Turn on a scary movie and let's see.”

Dean turned on the original _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_ and then took a bite of his pie and groaned. “Oh my God, Cas! This is just as good as the bourbon pecan! You are a fuckin’ pie genius.”

Castiel smiled, blushing again. “Thank you, Dean.”

They ate their pie as the movie started, Dean clearing their plates and turning off the light when they were done. Halfway through the movie, Cas had taken off his shoes and curled up on the couch against Dean’s side. He leaned his head against Dean’s shoulder while Dean had his arm wrapped low around his waist, his thumb rubbing gentle circles over Cas’ hipbone. Castiel felt himself melt into the touch as they watched the movie. When the credits started to roll, Castiel sighed. In his opinion, the movie was over way too soon. 

Dean kissed Castiel on top the head. “So I guess scary movies _do_ make you all cuddly.”

Castiel shrugged and looked up at Dean, a playful glint in his eyes. “Maybe... or maybe it was a fluke.”

Dean narrowed his eyes and smirked. “Well, I guess we’ll have to watch another scary movie to see then.”

Castiel sat up and smiled. “I would definitely like that, Dean.”

Dean looked down at his watch and sighed, slightly pouting. “But not tonight, it’s already eleven.”

Castiel nodded and leaned forward, slipping his shoes back on. “I really enjoyed myself tonight, Dean,” he said softly before sitting back up.

“I did too, Cas. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Nothing,” Castiel replied, hope blossoming in his chest. Could it be that Dean wanted to see him _again_?

“Well, you’ve got plans now! Sushi from Wasabi’s and another horror movie,” Dean flashed a smile “How does that sound?” He bit his lower lip, almost like he was nervous. “I mean... Do you like sushi? If not we-” 

Castiel placed his finger over Dean’s plush lips to stop his rambling. “I love sushi.” 

Dean pressed his lips against Cas’ finger gently before flashing another smile. “We even have two kinds of leftover pie for dessert.”

Castiel smiled back as he stood up. “It's a date, Dean. Would you like me to bring anything?”

“Just your sexy self,” Dean replied as he stood and took Cas’ hand, bringing it up to his lips and kissing Castiel's knuckles gently. “Three dates in three days, you're spoiling me, Cas. I'm going to get used to having you around.”

Castiel bumped his shoulder against Dean’s as they walked to the door. “Is that a bad thing,” he teased, his heart once against bounding wildly in his chest.

Dean shook his head and smiled as they walked out in the hallway. “No, it’s a good thing. A very, _very_ good thing… Can I kiss you goodnight, Castiel?”

Cas nodded. “I would really like if you did.”

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’ waist and pulled him flush against his body. He leaned down closing the gap between them, pressing his lips against Castiel's which were wet, warm, and smooth. Dean trailed his right hand up Cas’ back, resting it on the nape of his neck as he ran his tongue across Cas’ bottom lip, asking for entrance. Castiel's lips parted on a moan and Dean’s tongue dipped in to begin exploring, tasting Cas for the first time. Their tongues danced together, tracing the contours of each other’s mouths. They continued to kiss in the hallway only parting when their lungs started to beg for air.

“Wa-” Dean took a deep breath. “Was that okay, Cas?”

Castiel smiled. “It was better than okay, Dean, it was perfect.”

Dean returned the smile, “Good, I’ll see you tomorrow. Seven?” 

“I'm looking forward to it. Goodnight, Dean.” 

Goodnight Cas.” Dean kissed Cas once more, this time a soft, chaste kiss.

Dean watched as Castiel walked the short distance to his apartment and was inside before he shut and locked his own door. Dean smiled and brought his fingers up to touch his kiss numb lips, ‘ _Six months with this guy is definitely going to be a fun ride_.’

[ _**Meet the Characters of At The Crossroads!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/22150472)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! See you next week! :)


	4. The Third Date Rule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to my Betas thunderpuffin429, lotrspnfangirl, and ZephyrChrysalis. Also to ZephyrChrysalis for turning Dean's note into graphic art, and for the title banner.
> 
> Oh, and for those of you that read on a device that doesn't load pictures the contents of the note Dean left for Cas is at the bottom of the chapter in the end notes.
> 
> Sorry for posting so late in the day I've been super busy and I'm on my way to NashCon! But I couldn't not give you guys a chapter today! ;)  
> Happy Reading!

Castiel walked into the teacher’s lounge with a huge smile on his face, he groaned when he noticed Zar and Gabe ogling at him with mirth in their eyes. He walked over to the counter, unscrewed the lid to his thermos and slowly filled it with coffee. He was in no hurry to get over to his friends knowing they were going to question him about his date like the Spanish Inquisition. 

With a sigh and without being able to stretch his coffee prep any longer he made his way over to their usual table in the corner. Gabe and Zar were both grinning like loons as he sat down. 

Zar pushed his chair around to face him, “Well, Cassie?”

“Well what?” Castiel feigned ignorance.

Gabe rolled his eyes. “Don't leave us hanging! _The date_! How did your date go last night?”

Castiel couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face. “It was great, _really_ great.”

Zar placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hands. “Did you bang him?” Castiel glared at him and Zar held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay! Okay! That's a no…” A smug look spread across his face as he asked, “Did he bang you?”

Castiel huffed and shook his head “No, Zar, there was no ‘banging’ of any kind.”

Balthazar sighed. “All work, no play makes Cassie a _very_ dull boy.”

Gabriel snorted. “Sooooo,” he passed Castiel a butterscotch, “when are you seeing him again?” 

“Tonight.” Castiel unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth. “He invited me over to watch a horror movie and eat sushi from Wasabi’s.”

Zar reached over and into Gabe's shirt pocket to pull out a butterscotch for himself, ignoring the glare thrown at him. He turned back to Castiel. “This makes your third date, correct?” 

“Yes,” Castiel answered cautiously.

Zar grinned like a Cheshire Cat. “You know what that means right, Cassie, dear?” Castiel shook his head. “The unspoken third date rule? You don’t know the --” Castiel looked at Gabe then back to Zar and shrugged his shoulders. Zar rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Cassie, do you live under a rock? The third date rule! After three successful dates you gotta let him bang you… Or you bang him, whichever you fancy. Point is,” he sing-songed, “third date equals se-ex.”

Castiel snorted, “Did you come up with that ridiculous rule?”

“Sadly, no,” Balthazar sighed with a slight pout, “But it's a damn good one, not ridiculous at all. One I would be _proud_ to claim.”

Castiel looked over to Gabriel and waited for his input. “You really have never heard that before, Cassie? I thought everyone knew about the three dates and you're getting lucky rule.”

Castiel huffed and rolled his eyes. “Clearly, I haven't.” He lowered his eyes to the table and watched as his finger traced patterns against the wood. “Do you think Dean is expecting _that_? I really like him, but I'm not ready to have sex with him,” Castiel whispered so softly he wasn't sure if his friends had even heard him until he felt the warm press of Gabe's hand against his own, halting its movement. 

“Cassie.” He looked up, meeting Gabe's eyes, and waited for his friend to continue. “I know Zar and I tease you relentlessly at times, but it's because you are our best friend and we love you. When the time comes, if you're not ready, then this Dean guy better respect that. If not? He's got me and Zar to answer to.”

Balthazar nodded and reached across the table, placing his hand on top of his friends. “Also, the three dates rule isn't set in stone. You can always wait until, you know, the fourth date.”

“Okay,” Castiel pulled his hand back and rolled his eyes, “the heartfelt friendship bonding moment is over.”

Zar tapped his finger against the table to gain his attention and Castiel met his eyes. “Have you thought about Dean in that way?”

“What way?” Castiel asked even though he knew _exactly_ what Zar meant.

“The horizontal way, Cassie?” Zar raised an eyebrow. “Don't try to play dumb with me. I know you know what I meant.”

“It's only, I have just, I mean,” Castiel stuttered before taking a deep breath and continuing, “I haven't even known him a week! So, _no_ , Zar, I haven't thought of him in the _horizontal_ way.”

Zar beamed gleefully. “You're lying!”

“I’m not,” Castiel quickly defended.

“Cassie! You are!” Zar pointed at him. “You have a tell, that's why you're shit at playing cards! And why you can't lie to me or Gabe. We figured it out during our first year of college together.”

“I sure wish you would _tell_ it to me so I could quit doing it,” Castiel grumbled.

Gabe unwrapped another butterscotch and grinned. “So, you _have_ had naughty thoughts about this Dean fella.”

Castiel felt the blush creeping up his neck. “It's kinda hard not to, you should see him.”

Balthazar looked at Gabriel. “You know, my car has been making this strange knocking sound.”

Gabe hummed and nodded. “You should probably get that checked out.” Gabriel snapped his fingers and gasped loudly, making another teacher in the lounge jump, almost spilling her coffee. “I know the perfect place! Expert Auto. I’ll even go with you!”

Castiel’s hands shot across the table fisting in both Gabe’s and Zar's shirts. “Don't. You. _Dare_. If or when the time comes, I will introduce you to Dean.” Castiel let go of their shirts and pointed a finger in each of their faces. “No stalking him.”

Gabe's bottom lip pooched out. “Kill all the fun, why don't ya.”

Zar tapped his finger against the table again. “Well, since you won't let us do recon and scope him out, the least you can do is tell us all the juicy fantasies you’ve been indulging in with this so called Adonis.” 

Castiel opened his mouth to speak and thankfully, the bell rang. He smirked and stood up, gathering his briefcase and coffee. “Oh, look! First bell, better get going, don't want to be late.” Castiel booked it to the door, “Sorry guys,” he said over his shoulder as he sailed out.

“This conversation isn't over, Cassie!” Gabe called out but Castiel was already halfway to his classroom.

Castiel had just gotten out of the shower when he heard a knock at his door. “Just a minute!” He called out as he quickly put on his bathrobe and jogged to the door, unlocking and opening it. No one was there. 

He peaked around the door and glanced down the hallway, but that too was empty. Castiel shrugged and went to shut the door. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a light blue envelope taped to the middle of the door. He reached over and pulled it free, turning it in his hand. **Cas** was scrawled across the front in cursive and he immediately knew who had left this note. He smiled as he shut and locked the door.

As Castiel opened the envelope, a brief moment of worry took over. _Was Dean cancelling their date?_ That concern passed as quickly as it came once he started reading the letter.

“Dress code?” Castiel furrowed his brows in confusion and continued reading.

He folded the letter and laid it on the counter before he shook his head and began to laugh. Dean wanted him to wear his pajamas on their date? Really? Castiel could definitely say he had never, in all his years of dating, had a third date quite like this. A large part of him found it very intriguing. He fished out his watch, six thirty. He had half an hour before it was time for his date.

Castiel walked into his bedroom and opened his top dresser drawer, pulling out his favorite pair of pajamas. The pants were a light blue and had little cartoon bees all over them. The shirt was the same shade of blue as the pants and threadbare from years of wear. A large honey bee adorned the middle with _Don't Worry, Bee Happy _written in cursive above the smiling bumblebee. Castiel took off his robe and got dressed with a huge grin on his face.__

__He sat down on the bed and reached down the grab his tennis shoes, his shirt slipping off his left shoulder from the neck being stretched out from countless nights tossing and turning in his sleep. Castiel had been told, on more than one occasion, he was hard to sleep with. He had even accidently bloodied a lover's nose one night. Needless to say he didn’t get another date with the man after that._ _

__He moved to adjust it and out of the corner of his eye he noticed his black slippers by the bedside table. Castiel aborted his movement to grab the tennis shoes and reached for his house shoes instead, slipping them on before making his way into the kitchen. He grabbed his keys off the counter and headed out the door._ _

__

____

“Doors unlocked!” Castiel heard Dean call out after he rang the bell. 

Cas walked in and smiled when he saw Dean in the living room, bent over the sleek glass coffee table setting up their dinner. A large wooden boat filled with a variety of sushi sat in the middle of the table with a set of chopsticks sticking out of each side making them look like oars for the boat. Beside the sushi boat was a tokkuri and two chokos. 

Castiel's smile widened at the sight of the authentic ceramic Sake serving set. It was elegant. The tokkuri that held the Sake had a bulbous bottom that tapered off to a narrow neck then slightly flared back out. The two chokos for drinking very much reminded Castiel of a delicate coffee cup, minus the handle. The color was what made the set truly stunning, a beautiful glossy sapphire blue with darker charcoal undertones that gave it depth and richness.

Dean's voice snapped Cas out of his musings. “Can you lock the door please? I usually don't leave it unlocked, but I knew you were on your way over.” Dean gave him a quick smile before he turned his attention back to the food.

He locked the door and walked into the living room. He stood by the couch and watched as Dean poured a bottle of Sake into the tokkuri. When he was finished, he stood up and grinned at Castiel. 

Cas for the first time since arriving let his eyes roam over Dean’s choice of wardrobe, his _finest lazy Sunday ensemble_. Dean was wearing a black Led Zeppelin shirt with matching black pajama bottoms that had little guitars all over them. When his eyes made their way back up Dean’s body and met his, he was grinning ear to ear.

“Bees, Cas,” he teased playfully, “really?”

“Bees, Dean,” Cas looked at Dean with a gleeful glint in his eyes, schooling him like one of his students, “are incredibly interesting. I admire their work ethic. Did you know that a bee flies to thousands of flowers just to be able to make one spoonful of honey?”

Dean shook his head and smiled. “No, I didn't know that. But one thing I _do_ know is that you are incredibly cute, especially,” he let his eyes roam over Cas again, “in those pajamas.”

Castiel's blushed as he whispered, “Well, thanks, Dean. I like yours too.”

Dean winked. “They are pretty awesome,”” he ran his hand over the picture emblazoned on his shirt, “aren't they?” He sat down on the couch. “Come,” he patted the cushion, “join me.” 

Castiel sat with Dean and pointed at the sushi boat. “It looks good, what kinds did you get?”

Dean ran his hand across the back of his neck. “I wasn't sure what kind you liked, so I got the Wasabi San, thirty-six pieces, six different types, three types are raw and three are deep fried.”

Castiel reached over and squeezed Dean's knee. “I'm sure I will love your selections. Tell me what kinds you chose.”

Dean flashed him a bright smile and slid off the couch and sat in front of the coffee table with his legs crossed. He motioned to the carpet beside him and Castiel followed. They were side by side, knees touching, “The three fried ones,” Dean pointed to the left side of the boat, “I chose were Kamikaze, Dragon, and Spider. Tuna, teriyaki chicken, and crab,” he explained, his arm bumping against Cas’ when he reached to turn the boat. “For raw, I did a Philadelphia, Batman-”

Castiel snickered, “You chose that one just because the name didn't you?”

“Hush…” Dean smirked and shrugged, “I might have.” Castiel smiled as Dean continued, “As I was saying, Batman, and Rasta. So, we have smoked salmon, smoked eel, and more smoked salmon.” He grinned as he looked over at Cas, waiting for his approval.

“It all sounds so good,” Castiel admitted. “I don't know where to start.”.

“How about some Sake,” Dean asked as he placed a choko in front of each of them before reaching for the tokkuri. “I hope you like cold Sake, I know warm is more traditional but I just think it's gross.” Dean scrunched up his nose as he poured Castiel's drink then his own. “Really, who likes hot wine?”

Castiel took a sip from his choko, “Mmm,” he hummed in appreciation, “this is really good, Dean. I’ve tried a few different rice wines but this is by far the best.” He took another small sip, “I'm not a fan of hot Sake either.”

Dean took a drink of his and nodded, “This _is_ good, I'm glad I bought two bottles.”

Bringing his choko to his nose, Castiel breathed in deeply before taking another drink. “It has a very fruity scent and flavor. I’ve never had this kind before. What’s it called?”

Dean swallowed the sip he just took before answering. “It's called Heaven’s Door. It was recommended by the woman who took my order. She said the papaya, green apple, and honeysuckle flavors would pair well with this order.”

Picking up a set of chopsticks, Dean clicked them playfully in Castiel's face. “Dig in, Cas.” Castiel looked around the table, his brows furrowed. 

“Whatcha lookin’ for?” 

“A fork.” 

“You heathen!” Dean mock gasped, “You cannot eat sushi with a fork!” 

Castiel huffed and rolled his eyes. “It's either that or my fingers, Dean, I can't use chopsticks.”

“Pick one,” Dean clicked the chopsticks together again, “and I will feed it to you.”

Castiel hummed in thought before he shrugged, “You choose.” He was too anxious and excited at the prospect of Dean feeding him to pick. His pulse raced as Dean flashed him a smile that was nothing but flirtatious.

Dean poised his chopsticks as he studied the wooden boat before licking his lips and making his selection. “Okay, you,” he bounced his brows and looked up at Cas, “get to try Batman.” Castiel snorted in amusement, trying desperately to hide his nervousness as Dean grabbed the piece of sushi. 

“Wasabi?” 

Cas nodded. 

Dean dipped the roll in the spicy green horseradish at the front of the boat before lifting it toward Cas. 

Castiel maneuvered to face Dean, his shirt slipping off his right shoulder as he moved.

Dean slowly started to bring to roll towards Castiel’s mouth. 

As Dean brought it closer, Castiel’s lips parted. And just before it reached his mouth, it fell from the chopsticks and landed on his chest, directly above his shirt collar.

Castiel gasped and Dean bit back a laugh, “Whoops!” 

Cas reached up to retrieve the sushi. Dean caught his hand with a soft chuckle, “Allow me.” 

Dean quickly leaned in, his wet lips wrapping around the sushi and grazing Cas’ skin. He pulled back slightly and chewed before leaning in again, his tongue darting out. Castiel bit back a whimper as he felt the soft warm drag of Dean’s tongue on his flesh, cleaning away the remaining wasabi. 

Sitting back, Dean smiled, “Can I try that again?”

Castiel swallowed hard and fought back the sudden swell of arousal. He peered thoughtfully at Dean, “Are you going to drop it again?”

“Fifty-fifty chance,” Dean shrugged, “but,” he grinned, “I promise to clean you up if I do.”

“Okay,” Castiel pointed at his selection, “I want to try a Kamikaze.”

Dean picked up the roll and made it to Castiel's mouth this time without dropping it. Cas groaned as he chewed, swallowing his disappointment along with the sushi. He would much rather have felt the smooth heat of Dean’s tongue again than to be eating from the unyielding little sticks. “Really good, you should try one.”

“I will, but first...” Dean reached forward. picking up the extra pair of chopsticks. He held them out to Castiel. “I'm going to teach you how to use these.” 

He positioned the sticks in Cas’ hand, “You have nice hands,” he let his fingers trail over Castiel's long slender ones. “I bet those fingers are magical.”

Castiel rolled his eyes at Dean’s flirtatious words. “Wouldn't you like to know,” he fired back in a low gravelly tone.

Dean leaned in and whispered against the shell of Cas’ ear, “Yeah, I _really_ would.” Castiel's cheeks flushed at his words.

Dean just smiled brightly and gave Cas a small kiss on the lips, “Okay, now this is how you use chopsticks,” his hand covered Cas’ once more. 

Dean managed to teach Castiel the basics, with only two casualties -- one roll ended up on the table, the other in Dean’s lap -- when Castiel tried to return the favor and feed him.

The conversation flowed easily, it was never stilted or forced. They talked about everything, their day, books they like, sports, movies, music, and even the sushi they liked best from tonight’s boat. Cas decided his favorite was the Kamikaze and Dean's was Batman and not _just_ because of the name, as Dean had told Cas again when he continued to tease him about it. 

Leaning back against the couch Dean groaned, rubbing his hand over his stomach. “I can't believe we ate all that sushi.”

Castiel mimicked Dean's actions. “I know,” he groaned in agreement. “I'm really glad you required this _dress code_ because I don't think I could comfortably be in a pair of jeans right now.”

Dean laughed and used the couch and table to push himself up. He stretched before offering his hand to Castiel, who took it and let Dean haul him up from where he was still sitting on the floor. Castiel mirrored Dean’s previous movements of stretching. His back popped and he grimaced. “I'm getting far too old to be sitting on the floor like that.”

“Please,” Dean scoffed as he started to clear the sushi boat and chopsticks off the table, “how old are you, like thirty-two, thirty-three?”

Castiel laughed, “No, actually, I'm thirty six,” he picked up the napkins and followed Dean to the trash can. 

Dean hummed as he threw the trash away and got a mischievous glint in his eye as he turned to face Cas. “Wow,” he teased, “you’re practically ancient!” . 

Castiel scowled playfully at him as he tossed the napkins in the garbage. “Gee, thanks, and how old are you?”

Dean puffed out his chest, “I'm thirty-three.”

"Oh! Well, then," Cas blew out a teasing sigh, "you have a few years before you turn into an old man like me!"

“Only a few though,” Dean bumped his shoulder against Castiel's. “You know I'm just teasing you, right?”

Castiel raised an eyebrow. “Mm-hmm.”

Dean snorted and walked over to the refrigerator, opening it and grabbing the other bottle of Sake. “Let's refill the tokkuri, drink some more wine, and watch _The Ring_. Sound good?”

Castiel nodded and gave Dean a shy smile. “Sounds like a plan to me.” He sat down on the couch and watched as Dean’s fingers slid over the rows of DVD’s, how his eyes lit up when he found the right one. _Is it possible to fall for someone this fast?_ Dean smiled over his shoulder at him as he put the movie in, Cas’ heart bounded wildly in his chest once more, Dean’s smile always had that effect on him. Crowley did say Dean was my true love, maybe there's no set time, maybe it's instant, like love at first sight. 

Dean plopped down on the couch with a soft sigh. Cas liked the warm feeling of Dean’s body pressed next to his. He liked the fragrant notes of fresh citrus and tobacco of Dean’s cologne. When Dean wrapped his arm around him he relaxed into the touch and felt a contentedness he’d not felt before. It may not be love just quite yet, but he's well on his way to falling.

The movie played in the background, long forgotten as Dean refilled his and Cas’ chokos with the last of the Sake. Castiel took a drink and spun the choko around in his hands, admiring it again. 

“This Sake set is beautiful, how long have you had it?”

“Well, uh, I may have bought it today specifically for our date.” Dean reached up and ran his hand across the back of his neck, “it reminded me of your eyes.”

Castiel smiled at the sentiment, at the fact that Dean went out of his way to make this date more memorable. Dean drank the remainder of his wine and sat the choko on the table. 

Castiel finished the rest of his wine in one big gulp before setting his cup down beside Dean’s and turning to face him. Dean brought up his hand slowly and placed it on Cas’ cheek, his thumb stroking Castiel's jaw line before leaning in and closing the gap. Dean nipped at Castiel's bottom lip before soothing it with his tongue. Cas’ lips parted on a gasp and Dean dipped his tongue in. Castiel moaned into his mouth. Dean tasted like fruit and honeysuckle from the Sake, a very addictive combination.

Dean let his hands wander lower placing them on Castiel's hips, drawing him closer before pulling him into his lap. Cas gasped as his legs bracketed Dean's thighs. They shared a wild look, both of them panting before Dean surged up claiming Cas’ lips once again.

Castiel's heart raced, his head spun. Dean slid one hand down Cas’ spine resting it on his lower back the other strong and firm on the nape of Castiel's neck as his tongue mapped out his mouth, learning the contour, every crevice, claiming it thoroughly.

Dean hands gripped Cas’ body as his tongue continued to plunder his mouth. They came to rest on Cas’ hips, squeezing them tightly as he rutted up, rubbing his arousal against Castiel's in a slow drag. Castiel gasped before he tensed, hesitating. Literally frozen. 

_The three dates rule… Is he expecting sex?_ Castiel worried as his head continued to spin and his lungs screamed for oxygen. He needed to break for air, he needed to talk to Dean. He really liked what they were doing, now, but he certainly didn't want to take it any further. 

He pulled back and drew in a deep breath adjusting himself in Dean's lap, putting some space between them. He couldn't be touching him as they just were, much too risky if he wanted to actually get through the conversation they were getting ready to have. 

Dean’s chest was heaving, his pupils were blown wide with _pure_ lust. “Dean, Dean, we need to stop for a minute. I, uh, I need to talk to you.”

“Wh-wh-what's up?” Dean sat up a little straighter and tried to focus on the fact that Cas wanted to _talk_ , now. He took a deep breath trying to calm his arousal, “I do something wrong?” 

Castiel studied Dean closely to see if there was any frustration in his gaze, but only came up with concern. 

Castiel sighed and started to gnaw on his bottom lip. “Dean, I like you, I _really_ like you but I'm not ready to go farther than this… Just yet.” He took a deep breath and continued, “I know it's our third date and-” he started to ramble before Dean cut him off.

Dean huffed a small laugh, “Wait a second, Cas, are you talking about the Three Dates Rule? Do you _actually_ think I'm expecting you to have sex with me?” 

“Seriously! Does everyone know about the Three Dates Rule except me!” He grumbled as he lowered his gaze and shrugged his shoulders. 

Cas felt warm fingers grip his chin, moving his face ‘til he met Dean's eyes again. “I _really_ like you too, Cas, and if you’re not ready to go farther than this, I'm fine with that. I don't mind waiting.”

Castiel gave him a warm smile. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” Dean leaned up and kissed Cas on the forehead. “And, if all you want to do is kiss, then I'm good with that.”

“Well,” Castiel gave Dean a small sly smirk. “I may want to do more than _just_ kiss.”

Dean hummed and gently ran his hands up and down Cas’ thighs. “Like what? You gonna let me get to third base, Cas?”

“Third base? Hmm,” Castiel raised an eyebrow, “what do you consider third base?”

Dean ran his tongue across his bottom lip, “Well, skin-on-skin touching below the belt…” he looked Cas up and down, “giving and receiving oral sex.”

Castiel's eyes widened and his cheeks started to flush. “Oh, um, then n-not third base. Not yet, at least. How does second base sound?”

Now it was Dean’s turn to ask, “What do you consider second base?”

Castiel chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating. “Skin-on-skin contact _above_ the belt, and below the belt touching with clothes on.”

“So,” Dean clucked his tongue. “making out and humping like horny teenagers?”

Castiel nodded curtly. “Is that... acceptable?”

"Hell, yeah, you bet it is." Dean moved his hands up Cas’ chest and clasped them around the back of his neck, pulling him back in. The movement brought their bodies back together and Dean slowly started to rock up against Cas. 

Castiel could feel himself harden again. 

“Does that feel good?” Dean asked against his mouth, fingers pressing harder into Cas’ back.

"Yes,” Cas replied on a breathless whisper as he ground down in Dean’s lap, their lips meeting again. Dean ran his hand up Cas’ shirt and scratched his nails down his back. Castiel groaned and ground his hips down again, feeling Dean’s very hard cock rub against him through the thin layers of their pajama bottoms. It felt _amazing_.

Dean moaned as they continued to taste and grind against each other while the sounds of screams from the movie echoed in the background. Dean gripped Castiel’s ass, controlling his motions as he placed warm, wet, kisses along his jaw working his way up, his tongue darting out to trace the shell of Castiel's ear before he licked and sucked on the lobe. 

 

“You’re so fuckin’ gorgeous,” Dean panted, functioning purely on his lust as he scraped his teeth along Cas’ throat. 

“Yeah?” Cas breathed as Dean began to suck harder on his neck, so hard it was definitely going to leave a mark.

“God, yes,” Dean mumbled around a mouthful of milky white skin. 

Castiel gripped Dean’s hair, forcing him to stop biting and sucking on his throat and look at him. “You're making the whole wanting to wait _very_ hard on me.”

“When the time comes,” Dean ran his tongue over the blooming bruise he just left on Cas’ throat. “I'm going to take such good care of you, Cas, make your body scream with pleasure. You’d be surprised, all the things I can do, all the things I _want_ to do to you,” he rasped against Cas’ mouth, his husky tone made Castiel shiver.

 

“How about you give me a little taste,” Castiel whispered gruffly in Dean’s ear. 

Dean growled and crashed their mouths together again gripping Cas’ hips roughly as he bucked up into him with a dirty groan. Castiel answered by gyrating harder and faster relishing in the friction of his and Dean’s cocks rubbing together. Cas could feel the wetness where precum dampened his pants and heat coiling in his lower stomach. Dean stopped kissing him and by the way he was just panting harshly against his mouth, Cas knew he was probably feeling the same.

“Fuck, fuck Cas, so good. But,” Dean gasped breathlessly, “you gotta, you gotta stop,” he stilled Cas in his lap, “starting to feel a little _too_ good.” He laid his head back on the couch. “I was seconds away from creaming my pants like a pimpled-face teen.” He chuckled breathlessly, “I'm already going to have to change my pants as it is. They’re… kinda damp.”

Castiel grinned, nuzzling against Dean’s throat as he mumbled “You aren't the only one that needs to change.”

Dean snorted. “Well that's good to know.”

“I have really enjoyed myself tonight,” Castiel raised up and sat back on his haunches. “It’s been a wonderful date.”

Dean’s smile brightened. “I'm glad, Cas, I've really enjoyed myself, too.”

Castiel sighed as he looked at the clock and realized that it was already after eleven. “It's late, I should get home.”

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’ shoulders. “Can I see you again tomorrow?”

Castiel grinned. “Yes… Shit! No. Tomorrow's Thursday,” he shook his head and sighed. “Unfortunately, I have a teacher’s conference tomorrow evening, attendance is mandatory.” Cas leaned down and placed kisses up Dean’s throat, stopping to whisper in his ear. “How about you come to my apartment Friday? I will make you dinner for a change.”

“I’ll bring dessert.” Dean pulled Castiel down for another kiss, this one more tame and chaste compared to the others. When they broke apart, Dean smiled against Cas’ lips. 

He stood carefully helping Castiel slide off his lap. “Come on,” Dean wrapped his arm around Cas’ waist, handing him his house shoes, “I’ll walk you out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean's note to Cas:
> 
> Cas,  
>  I'm really looking forward to our date tonight. I have already placed our order at Wasabi's and will be picking it up soon. I also chose a movie for tonight. I hope it's scary enough to get you back in my arms ;)
> 
> But the real reason I'm writing is to let you know that our date tonight has a dress code.
> 
> Yup! You read that right DRESS CODE and tonight's requires that you to wear your finest lazy Sunday ensemble. You know, your favorite t-shirt and sweatpants or pajamas. I already have my outfit picked out. I can't wait to curl up on the couch with you, some sushi and a good movie.
> 
> See you soon, Dean
> 
>  
> 
> [ _**Take a peek at the process ZC used for creating Dean's note right here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/22172585)
> 
> [ _**Art by lotrspnfangirl for this fic here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)


	5. Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl, Thunderpuffin429, and ZephyrChrysalis for betaing this chapter. And ZephyrChrysalis for the scene dividers and the cinema graphic.
> 
> Also NashCon was a blast but Con Crud has claimed me, I have the Flu and Strep throat. I'm posting this while heavily medicated so if you guys see any mistakes point them out!
> 
> Happy Reading Guys!!

September swiftly turned into October. 

Since the night they met, Dean and Castiel continued to spend most afternoons together and most weekends, enjoying each other's company and getting to know one another better. Many evenings were spent curled up together on the couch talking about their days, trading childhood stories, or in heated make out sessions. 

Castiel smiled as he got into the elevator, his thoughts wandered to the previous night’s activities on Dean's couch. Shirts littered the floor and the sounds of heavy breathing and soft moans filled the living room. He remembered the press of Dean’s weight on top of him, his legs locked securely around Dean’s waist, kissing him passionately as they moved in tandem. They still hadn't gone further than second base -- as Dean called it -- but Castiel, over the last few days, had been thinking about taking things further. Maybe not sex, just yet, but more than making out and dry humping. Not that it hadn’t been incredibly enjoyable so far but he found himself craving _more_.

Opening his door, Castiel took a deep breath as he entered his apartment. He was greeted by the aroma of the white chicken chili that was simmering in the crockpot. His well-worn tan trench coat took its usual spot on the coat rack by the door. Taking another deep breath and letting it out slowly, he toed off his shoes and felt himself relax. It had been a long day. The after school teacher’s conference was tedious and boring, but necessary. He was glad to be home. Plus, Dean was coming over for dinner and he couldn't wait to see him.

Over the past few weeks they’d been taking turns cooking. Castiel smiled as he remembered how nervous he’d been the first time Dean had come over for dinner. 

Their apartments were basically laid out the same way, but Dean had a big screen TV, brand new leather furniture, all his dishes and cookware matched. Castiel had an average sized TV, his living room set was a well-loved hand-me-down grey cotton couch and loveseat from his parents, and all of his dishes and cookware were mismatched and also, hand-me-downs.

It quickly became apparent that Castiel had nothing to worry about. None of that had meant anything to Dean. He’d even complained a couple times on the nights they were having dinner at his apartment, saying Castiel's was much homier. 

Castiel looked at his watch. It was a little after four-thirty. He scooted his shoes beneath the coat rack and left his keys in the small dish on the counter as he headed into the bathroom. He turned the faucet on in the shower so it would heat up. He stripped and tossed his clothes into the hamper before stepping into the spray. He knew he would have to make this shower a quick one. Dean would be here in about an hour, showing up early, like always, and he still had to make the Mexican cornbread to go with the chili. 

After his shower he pulled on a pair of grey sweatpants and a soft blue tee. Ever since their pajama date, they started dressing more comfortably during their evenings together, choosing sweats over jeans and tees over button ups, unless they were planning on going out. And that suited Castiel just fine, since Dean looked just as good in sweats and a tee as he did dressed up. Maybe even better because Castiel knew that was the _real_ Dean. He wasn't trying to impress Cas by dressing up every time they saw each other and Dean made a similar comment to Castiel. Dressing comfortably was just more intimate, and Castiel loved it.

He whipped together the batter for his cornbread and slid the pan into the oven before sinking into his spot on the loveseat to go over his lesson plans for the next week. The timer dinged just as he was finalizing his plans. He quickly packed up and removed the cornbread from the oven. No sooner had he slipped it onto the cooling rack than his doorbell rang. He felt his stomach jolt with that, now, welcome zing of anticipation as he went to answer. 

Dean was standing in the hallway wearing black sweatpants and a crimson tee shirt, his hair still slightly damp from the shower, and he was holding a glass baking dish. Castiel side stepped out of the way so Dean could come in. 

Dean breathed in deeply. “Something smells delicious.”

Castiel reached out and took the baking dish from him. “I made white chicken chili and Mexican cornbread.”

“Mmm, sounds great. I'm starving.” Dean pointed to the glass dish he brought. “I made peach cobbler for dessert.”

Castiel smiled, remembering the last cobbler Dean made them and how good it was. “I love peach cobbler. Dinner will be done in about twenty minutes, I just took the cornbread out of the oven.” Cas sat the cobbler on the counter by the stove. “It needs to cool a little before I cut it.”

Dean leaned in and gave Cas a kiss on the cheek. “In that case, I'm going to run down to the mailboxes, I didn’t get a chance to check earlier.”

Castiel grabbed his keys off the counter and handed them to Dean. “Do you mind checking mine? I was in a hurry to take a shower and get the cornbread in the oven when I got home so I forgot.”

Dean nodded his head and took the proffered keys. “I’ll be back in a few.”

When Dean returned, Castiel was ladling out large bowls of chili. “No mail for me and you just had one letter.” Dean twisted it around in his hand and watched as Castiel dropped large handfuls of shredded cheddar on top of the hot chili.

“Anything important?” Castiel asked as he carried the bowls to the table. Behind him, Dean was studying the front of the letter.

“Uhh… It's from Dr. Kümmel from Lawrence Medical Center.” Dean looked up at Castiel who was walking back to the kitchen. “Is everything okay, Cas?”

Castiel's felt his cheeks and back of his neck flush and he immediately averted his eyes. “Oh, yeah, umm, everything’s fine.” He cleared his throat and made careful work of cutting squares of cornbread and arranging them on a plate. Finally, he said, “Do you remember when I had to go in for my yearly physical last week?” Dean nodded, still watching him. “Well... while I was there I had my doctor a run a full STD panel.”

“Oh.” Dean followed Castiel over to the table, watching as he put the cornbread between the two seats, and then handed him the letter.

Castiel took it and looked up to meet Dean's gaze. “I already know I'm clean. I was tested after my last relationship and I haven't been sexually active since then. But I just wanted to be sure.”

Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist and rested his chin over his shoulder by his ear. “I’ll make an appointment tomorrow to be tested, too. I know I'm clean, but like you, I wanna be sure so there are no worries when we do decide to have sex.”

Castiel relaxed into Dean’s touch and opened the letter. Just as he had expected... “I'm clean.” Dean nodded and Castiel turned in Dean's arms to face him. “If you don't have a doctor picked out yet I can give you the number for mine before you leave tonight.”

Dean kissed Castiel on the forehead. “No, I don't have a doctor yet, so that would be great.”

Castiel wiggled out of Dean’s grip, laughing at the exaggerated pout on his face. “Come on! Let's eat before it gets cold.” Dean’s pout quickly vanished as he took his seat and picked up his spoon. There was truly one sure way to Dean Winchester’s heart, and it was definitely through his stomach.

Dean groaned around the first bite. “This is _amazing_ , Cas. I can't believe I've never had white chicken chili before.”

Castiel swallowed the bite he had just taken before replying, “I don’t think I could make something you don’t like. But really, I'm glad you like it, Dean.”

They ate in companionable silence for a while before Dean broke it. “Oh, hey! Before I forget, do you like _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_?”

Castiel smirked, “Of course I do! Who doesn't?”

Dean returned the smirk with a small one of his own. “Good. I'm glad you said that because the 5th, which happens to be next Saturday, they’re having a live showing of it at Thorn Park. You wanna go?” Dean asked, and Castiel was surprised to hear a hint of nervousness in the other man’s voice. Dean quickly pushed forward, “I figured we could watch the movie earlier that day then go see it live or something. You know, if you wanted.”

“That would be great!” Castiel grinned and shifted, pressing his knee against Dean’s underneath the table. “Sounds like a lot fun. I’ve always wanted to see it live.”

“Yeah, me too. I’ve just never had the chance.” Dean pulled out his phone and purchased tickets online. Cas bit back a laugh at how quick he was to do so, and knew Dean probably already had it pulled up and ready to go. Dean smiled at Cas and slid his phone back into his sweats. “All set.”

“Speedy there, huh!” Castiel exclaimed as he leaned across the table to kiss Dean on the cheek. “It’ll be a good time. Can’t wait.”

“Me either,” Dean replied as he dipped his cornbread into his chili.

After dinner Dean dished them both out a huge serving of peach cobbler and heated it up in the microwave before topping it with vanilla ice cream and taking their dessert into the living room. Castiel turned on the TV for background noise. 

“So,” Dean started and waited for Cas to look at him before he continued, “What made you want to get tested while you were at your yearly physical?”

Castiel grinned shyly and licked the ice cream off his spoon, watching as Dean's eyes traced the movement. “Because I have been thinking more and more about taking that next step, going further with you. Honestly, I'm not ready for sex yet, but I'm ready for _more_.”

“More,” Dean parroted. “What were you thinking, Cas?”

Castiel picked at his cobbler and ice cream, making sure he had equal parts of both as he thought about the _more_ he wanted. Dean nearly groaned as he watched Cas suck the peaches and cream from his spoon. He countered with a quick bite of his own as Castiel turned to face him.

“Well...” Cas started before his brow furrowed as he watched the other man, “Dean!” Cas shook his head as he pointed at Dean’s spoon. “That is not the proper way to eat cobbler!” He dug into his own dish, “You need to have an equal distribution of cobbler _and_ ice cream,” he held a scoop up in front of Dean’s mouth, “taste!”

“Bossy!” Dean teased.

“When it concerns the proper ice cream to cobbler ratio?” He gently shook the spoon in front of Dean, “You bet your ass!” 

Dean opened up and took the proffered bite. He let his lips linger on the spoon as he slowly drew the sweet confections into his mouth. “God, Cas,” he mumbled as he swallowed, “you’re right, that’s so much better!”

He watched as Dean’s tongue darted out to clean up the remnants of cream that remained on his lips. Castiel bit his bottom lip fighting his desire to claim the other man's lips. But in the end his urges won out. _What the hell. I’m on a schedule here!_ He leaned forward and captured Dean’s delectable mouth in an exploratory kiss.

He smiled against the Dean’s lips as he hummed, “You taste like peaches and cream.”

Dean returned his kiss as he put his bowl down on the coffee table. “Mmm, so do you.” He deepened the kiss but broke apart as Cas’ bowl started to tip out of his lap.

“Oh, damn!” Cas rescued the bowl and set it down next to Dean’s. “Now, where were we?” He moved toward Dean and straddled him. Castiel relished the choked gasp Dean made as he ran his hands up Dean's chest before locking them behind his neck and whispering in his ear, “Oh, and as for the more I was referring to? I was thinking ‘third base’.” He smiled against Dean’s lips, “Isn’t that below the belt, skin on skin contact?”

Dean groaned and Castiel could feel the vibrations from it where his chest was pressed firmly against Dean's. He gripped Castiel's hips tightly and rutted up, rubbing his semi hard cock against Castiel's. “I really, _really_ like the idea of getting you naked and running my hands all over your body.”

Castiel dropped his head on Dean’s shoulder. “I like that idea, too.”

Sliding his hands under Cas’ shirt Dean could feel the warmth, the heat of Castiel’s flesh hot against his palms as Dean ran his hands up Cas’ back and rested them on his shoulder blades. Dean pulled him into a kiss, licking his way into his mouth when Cas’ lips parted on a sigh. He began to gyrate gently in Dean’s lap seeking friction. As Dean slowly scraped his nails down Castiel's back, he moaned and arched up into the touch.

Once Dean's hands made their way back down to the hem of Castiel's shirt he gripped the bottom of it. Castiel sat up and let Dean remove his shirt. He smiled down at Dean and raised an eyebrow. “Your turn.” Dean shifted slightly on the couch so Castiel could get a grip on his shirt and pull it off. 

After his shirt joined Castiel's he fell back against the couch, and pulled Castiel down with him. They kissed hungrily and grinded eagerly until they were both breathless and craving more. “Dean,” Castiel moaned against his lips, “I want you to touch me, I want to touch you… I _need_ you.”

“Pants, Cas. Let's get them off.” 

Castiel scrambled off Dean's lap and stood in front of him. Dean sat up and gripped the band of Cas’ sweatpants before looking up and meeting his eyes. Castiel swallowed hard, but he wasn’t nervous, if anything he was excited as he nodded. Dean slipped Cas’ pants and boxer briefs over his hips and down his legs until he could step out of them. 

He blushed as Dean's eyes roamed over his naked body for the first time. Dean reached up and rubbed circles over Castiel's hip bones with his thumbs, his voice soft as he whispered, “You're beautiful, Cas.” 

His blush deepened as he looked at Dean before reaching down and tugging at Dean's pants. “Can I? I want to see all of you, too.” 

Nodding Dean lifted his hips, letting Cas slid his sweats off and joining Castiel’s on the floor. He took in the sight of Dean bare and spread out on the couch and had to bite back a moan. 

He willingly let Dean’s arms enfold around him. Cas straddled Dean again, gently repositioning so that his thighs were bracketing Dean’s hips. He pressed his body fully against Dean's, a small gasp escaping his lips at the first feel of the heat of Dean's skin against his. Castiel rocked his hips, their cocks rubbing together, no barriers between them for the first time. The sensation drew a low, dirty groan out of both men and Dean's hands found their way to Cas’ hips, gripping them soundly as he controlled Castiel's movements.

Castiel panted, ragged and fast against Dean's throat, his body responding against Dean's as his hips swayed and their cocks vigorously rubbed together. Dean reached in between them and wrapped his hand around their erections, adding to the delicious friction they were both seeking, causing a moan of pleasure to fall from both their lips. Dean's head fell back, thumping against the couch as he tightened his grip. Castiel gasped and gyrated harder and faster, relishing the feeling of Dean's hard length grinding against his own. 

He kissed his way along Dean's collarbone as Dean’s hand stroked them both, precum slicking their shafts. “You feel so good, Cas,” Dean groaned as he thumbed over the head of their cocks, collecting the juices gathered there.

Rising up Castiel licked the palm of his hand. “I want to _feel_ you, Dean,” he said, breathless, as he reached down and took them both in hand, his fingers interlocking with Dean’s as they worked in tandem to chase their release.

Castiel rocked forward as Dean thrusted up in their hands. He could feel the warm heat pooling in his lower stomach with each pass of their hands. “So close, I'm so close, Dean.” 

Dean tightened his grip and striped their cocks faster. “Let go for me, baby,” Dean growled, “come for me.”.

Castiel gripped Dean's shoulder with his free hand, his nails digging into the meat of his back leaving crescent shaped marks. Cas thrust into the tight ring of their hands and found ecstasy. His body shook as he spurted his release in long hot stripes over their hands and across Dean’s stomach. Castiel felt Dean follow only moments later, his hot come coating Castiel's hand and joining his release pooling on Dean's stomach.

“That was,” Dean took a deep breath, still slightly winded, “That was awesome,” he slurred with a smile on his face. 

Castiel removed his hand from their softening members and brought his come covered fingers up to his lips. Castiel licked a broad strip up his middle finger before sucking each one into his mouth, humming around the digits. He looked down at Dean when he felt fingertips digging into his hipbones and was met with a ravenous gaze. 

“Babe, unless you are angling for a round two? I would stop that.”

Castiel pulled his fingers out of his mouth, making a lewd popping noise. As soon as he removed them Dean's lips were on his, licking his way into Cas’ mouth, wanting to taste their combined juices. He sucked on Castiel's tongue, his teeth gently scraping it and making Cas shiver. Cas pulled back placing a hand on Dean’s chest to halt the man’s chase of his lips. 

Standing on shaky legs Castiel pulled Dean up with him ignoring the protests Dean grumbled the entire time. Castiel smacked Dean’s bare ass playfully before leading them into the bathroom to could clean up.

“C’mon,” Castiel admonished gently, “if we don’t clean up, we’ll be all sticky.” He crinkled his nose, “and not the good kind.” Castiel pulled Dean into the bathroom.

Dean grinned impishly as he turned Cas and pressed him against the counter, “Sponge bath,” he eyed the shower, “or…” he nodded to the glass enclosure.

Cas tried not to blush, but he felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he thought about showering with Dean. “Well,” his eyes took on a mischievous glint, “we are already naked.”

“Mmmhmm,” Dean pursed his lips, “let’s do it!” He reached over, slid open the door, and turned the hot water handle.

Castiel bit his bottom lip, “I don’t know,” he hesitated, second guessing himself as Dean played with the water temperature, “isn’t this moving too fast?” He whispered as his eyes fell to the tiled floor.

“Do you trust me?” Dean held out his hand and met Castiel’s eyes. “Just cleaning us both up. I promise nothing more.” He wiggled his fingers and stepped into the spray.

Cas nodded as he reached for Dean’s hand, stepping under the spray. Dean grabbed the soap and after lathering his hands generously smoothed them over Cas’ shoulders and worked swiftly down to his nipples. He gently scraped his nail over both and chuckled as he got a low throaty groan from Castiel.

“You keep doing that,” Cas’ breath hitched and Dean pinched the hardened flesh, “and we will not be getting any cleaner.” Dean chuckled again, as he continued his way down Castiel’s body. 

Once Dean was done Castiel took his time returning the favor washing Dean from head toe, until he was putty in Cas’ hands. They stayed under the warm spray trading lazy kisses and gentle touches. When the water started to cool Dean reached for the handle, shutting if off before getting out of the shower and turning to smile at Cas. “See? I was a perfect gentleman.” Dean held out his hand. Castiel returned the smile as he took Dean's hand and stepped out of the stall.

They toweled off quickly, stealing little glances of the other. Once they were both dry, they made their way back to the living room to redress in their discarded sweats and tee’s. 

“It’s still early,” Dean said as he pulled his t-shirt back on, “you wanna watch a movie, or d’you want me to…”

“Movie,” Cas said quickly, not wanting their date to be over too soon, “Hey, you want more cobbler?” He slipped his shirt back on.

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’ waist and kissed his cheek. “That sounds good, you pick out a movie and I’ll go get us some cobbler.” 

Castiel smiled, happy and sated, as he sat down on the couch and started looking for a movie.

Dean woke up in a great mood. It had been three days since he and Cas had been able to get together for anything more than a quick bite. Cas had school activities that had commanded his attentions, and he’d been tied up on the Buick Rufus had him rebuilding. It had to be a fast turnaround for the client, so that meant a couple late nights. But today was Saturday, and he was off. 

Dean grinned as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stretched before standing and making his way to the bathroom. Today was his date with Cas, tonight they would be going to see _Rocky Horror Live_.

He found himself humming one of his favorite songs from the show as he turned on the water, adjusting the temperature. Dean smiled the whole time he was in the shower and had that same smile on his face as he put on a pair of sweats and a tee shirt; he would get dressed for their outing later. 

After doing a load of laundry and tidying up the living room and kitchen, it was almost eleven and Cas was going to be coming over around noon so they could spend the day together lounging around and watching TV, with a few lazy make out sessions mixed in. Dean's smile widened as he poured a cup of coffee, his mind wandering to last week on Castiel's couch. _Maybe we could do more of that!_ his downstairs brain offered as he turned the oven on so he could make a batch of cinnamon rolls for him and Cas. 

Their relationship had become more physical since that night on Cas’ couch. Their make out session now usually ended with them both naked, sweaty, and covered in come. Castiel loved when he took them both in hand and stroked them to completion while Dean whispered all the filthy things he was going to do to Cas when they had sex for the first time. 

Dean was glad he was able to squeeze in a trip to the doctor to get his STD tests. He’d be getting his results back sometime next week. And he could barely wait, because every time they were together in each other's arms, panting and chasing their release, he could see the hunger in Cas’ eyes and he knew it wouldn't be much longer until he was ready to take that final leap. 

Dean really had enjoyed the past week. 

To finally be able to see Cas naked, to touch him, to run his hands all over his body with no barrier in between… Plus, the look on Cas’ face when he fell apart was orgasmic. That look was always enough to take Dean over that blissful edge with him every time. 

Dean placed the cinnamon rolls in the oven and grabbed his cup of coffee, taking it into the living room to watch TV until Cas arrived. As soon as Dean sat down and turned on the television, the channel turned to a close up of Crowley’s smug face staring at him. Dean jumped, slightly startled, and he had the fleeting thought of how grateful he was that he put his mug down to turn on the TV because if not, he would be covered in scalding hot coffee. 

“Damnit, Crowley, really? Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?”

Crowley laughed and shifted in his throne as he leaned forward. “Not happy to see me, Darling?” Dean raised an eyebrow and Crowley continued, “I just thought I would check in, see how things are going.”

“Peachy.” Dean snarked as he took a sip of his coffee and set the mug back down. “Things are just peachy.” 

“My, my, my… someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Crowley hummed and tapped his finger on his chin. “Or is it the absence of sex that has your panties in a bunch?”

“Maybe it's seeing your face first thing in the morning,” Dean quipped. “And my sex life is none of your business!” He added in as an afterthought. 

“What sex life?” Crowley mumbled. “Making out, dry humping, and a few hand jobs really doesn't count as sex.”

“How did-” Dean bristled. “Have you been perving on me Crowley,” he asked as he fought the flush threatening to rise up his cheeks. He would not give his king the satisfaction of seeing him blush.

Crowley shrugged. “A king's gotta have some form of entertainment.” 

Dean's mouth dropped open before he snapped it shut and replied, “Well find another form! Jesus, Crowley...”

Crowley snorted. “Haven’t had the chance to meet him actually, hear he’s great.” He smirked once, then sighed dramatically. “Don't be such a prude, Dean, I'm just peeking in every now and again. I've got a ten thousand dollar bottle of MaCallan 1939 riding on a little bet.”

Dean sat up, ramrod straight. “Bet? What kind of bet? I thought no one else was to know what I was doing?”

Crowley sighed and flicked his wrist. “This is hell. If there is something you want to keep private, of course it's going to get out.” Crowley rolled his eyes, as if it were obvious. “But no one knows where you are or who you are with. They just know you are playing the ‘true love’ of some poor sap who made a deal.”

“But you said there was a bet! Wha--” Dean’s eyes widened with realization. “ _Please_ tell me you are not betting on when Cas and I are going to fuck.”

In response, another smirk spread across Crowley's face. “It’s just me and a few of the higher ranking Crossroads’ Demons.” 

Dean rolled his eyes up to the ceiling to collect his thoughts, but didn't say anything. He knew that it was exactly the type of bet he would have gotten in on if he’d been given the chance. 

“I have October, by the way. So if you could _seal_ that _deal_ by the end of the month, I would really appreciate it,” Crowley informed with another sly smile.

Dean snorted. “I’ll get right on top of that.” 

“Well, I never would’ve guessed you to be a top, Dean,” Crowley quipped and Dean’s response was cut off by the sound of the oven timer. He glanced to the kitchen, then back at the Demon King.

“That would be my cinnamon rolls.” Dean looked down at his watch. “And Cas will be here anytime. It was good chatting with you,” Dean stood up and gave Crowley a mock salute, “but I've got things to do.”

“Make sure one of those things is Castiel!” Crowley called out as Dean walked into the kitchen. He opened his mouth to retort but heard the monotone voice of the weatherman signaling Crowley was gone. 

Dean shook his head as he removed the cinnamon rolls from the oven and set them on a rack to cool. He started another pot of coffee and walked back into the living room, plopping down on the couch and picking up the remote to channel surf until either he found a good show or movie or Cas got there.

Castiel woke up a little after ten. He showered, shaved, and got dressed, choosing to wear navy blue sweats and a light blue tee. He would come back and get dressed before their date, but for now while he and Dean lounged around Dean’s apartment, rewatching _Rocky Horror_ , he wanted to be comfortable

He knew it was just a few minutes before noon, so he decided to slip on his house shoes and head on over to Dean's. He didn't even bother to knock on the door, already knowing it was unlocked. Over the past few weeks Dean had started unlocking the door when it was time for Cas to arrive, giving him permission to just come on in.

Castiel walked into the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind him. He smiled when he saw Dean in the kitchen pouring two mugs of coffee. Dean looked up and grinned. “Hey, I got coffee and cinnamon rolls. Come on in here and grab a few.”

Castiel kicked off his shoes and went to join Dean, leaning over the bar to breathe in the warm scent of the freshly baked rolls. “Smells good, are they homemade?”

Dean smirked around his coffee cup. “Of course.”

Castiel picked up his own mug and took a drink, sighing as he removed it from his lips. “Just the way I like it.”

Dean leaned over and kissed him on the temple. “Yeah, lots of hazelnut creamer and a splash of coffee.”

Castiel scowled playfully at him as he grabbed a cinnamon roll, taking a huge bite from it. “Oh my God, these are amazing,” he mumbled around a mouthful.

“Charming,” Dean chuckled. “I’m glad you like them.” He smiled and pulled Cas into his arms, threading his fingers through Castiel's hair. Dean leaned in and darted his tongue out, running it over Cas’ bottom lip, then nipping it gently. He pulled back, giving Cas an innocent look. “You had a little bit of icing on your lip.”

Castiel smirked at him. “You couldn't have just told me?”

Dean winked. “My way was much more fun.” He opened the cabinet by the refrigerator and pulled out a plate. He handed it to Castiel and instructed him to fill it up with the pastries while he got the coffee into a pot. Together, they walked to the living room and collapsed side by side on the couch.

Five hours into their SyFy Masters of Horror Movie Marathon and cuddling on the couch, Dean's stomach started to grumble. 

Castiel smiled up at his from where his head was resting in his lap. “Getting hungry?”

Dean carded his fingers through Cas’ hair and nodded. “Yeah, you want to tag team dinner?”

“Sure.” Castiel sat up and stretched, his back popping with the movement. “I'm getting hungry, too.”

Dean collected their dishes and looked over his shoulder to see Cas following him. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “How do tacos with chips and queso sound?”

“That sounds good, how can I help?” Castiel asked as he took the dishes from Dean and placed them into the sink.

The pair of them made quick work of crafting their Mexican dinner. The food was delicious and after they cleaned their mess in the kitchen, they curled back up on the couch to continue their marathon. Nearing nine, Dean popped in _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_. As soon as the credits started to roll, he shifted Cas gently from his side. 

“Hey, Cas, it's ten thirty.”

Castiel nodded and gave a stretch as he sat up. “Alright,” he said as he stood and made his way to the door to slip on his shoes, “I'm going to get dressed. Meet you back here?”

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas and pulled him into a kiss. Castiel hummed against Dean's plush lips as he parted his allowing Dean's tongue entrance. Dean kept one arm firmly wrapped around Cas’ waist while the other reached up to cradle his jaw so he could deepen the kiss. Castiel broke the kiss when he felt Dean’s fingers tighten on his hip. He rested his forehead against Dean's and felt his back press against the door. “If you keep kissing me like that we aren't going to get very far.”

Dean sighed, smirking against Castiel’s lips as he kissed him softly. “Yeah, I guess you're right. You better go before I change my mind and decide that you being naked underneath me on the couch is better than going to see _Rocky Horror_.” Dean gave him one more squeeze before stepping back. “How about instead of meeting back here as soon as I’m dressed I come get you?” Castiel nodded and Dean gave him one more, less heated-kiss before seeing him out.

Thirty minutes later, Castiel was dressed and checking out his outfit in the full length mirror in his bedroom. He had on a pair of black acid washed jeans, black high top converse shoes, and his black _Rocky Horror_ tee shirt that had the iconic blood red lips on it with the script _AT THE LATE NIGHT DOUBLE FEATURE_ above them and _PICTURE SHOW_ beneath them.

As soon as Castiel had ran a comb through his hair, put on his favorite cologne and walked into the living room to wait for Dean, his doorbell rang. Castiel smiled as he went to answer the door and it only widened when he saw Dean standing in the hallway wearing a pair of dark blue distressed ripped jeans, a white _Rocky Horror_ shirt that said _Let's Do The Time Warp Again_ in blood red letters that looked like they were dripping, and his black boots. Castiel's eyes roamed his figure before meeting his eyes. “You look good.”

Dean was busy doing some ogling of his own. “Damn, so do you.” Dean pulled Cas into his arms. “I'm already thinking about getting you back to my apartment tonight. Makes me shiver with antici….” Dean leaned in and whispered, “...pation.”

Castiel snorted and pushed Dean’s shoulder. “You ready to go?”

Dean nodded. “Sure am.”

Castiel grabbed his keys and coat, locking the door behind him. Once they were out in the hallway he noticed the black canvas messenger bag slung over Dean's shoulder. “What do you have in there?” 

Dean grinned and shifted the bag higher as he reached for Castiel’s hand. “I may have looked online at the virgin's guide to _Rocky Horror Live_ . You know the show is big on audience participation and there was a props list...” Dean patted the bag, “I wanted to make sure we were prepared.”

Castiel nodded, lacing their fingers together. “So what's in the bag?”

Dean shrugged and began to name everything off. “Oh you know just the basics… Rice, newspapers, water pistols, rubber gloves, flashlights, noisemakers,” Dean took a breath and continued, “confetti, toilet paper, toast, party hats, bells, and cards.” Castiel stared at him with his mouth gaping. Dean just smirked. “Hey, figured we should get the full experience.”

Castiel was still smiling when they entered IHOP and were led to a small booth in the corner. It was a little after two in the morning but it was an unspoken rule -- one that even first timers knew -- after seeing _Rocky Horror Live_ you found a twenty-four hour diner, ate greasy food, and raved about the show.

The local IHOP was the closest Lawrence, Kansas came to a traditional diner. Dean and Cas took their seats it was only a minute later that their waiter had taken their order for soft drinks and left them with menus. Dean picked up his and grinned at Cas before he inquired, “So, what did you think? We popped our _Rocky Horror Live_ cherry.” Dean's grin transformed into a smirk, “Was it good for you?”

A smile spread across Castiel’s face, “I'm still wet, I have toast crumbs and confetti in my hair, and I'm pretty sure rice has somehow found its way into my pants.” Castiel's smile widened. “It was _amazing_.” He batted his eyelashes at Dean, “And just so you know, Dean, I'm glad it was you that took my _Rocky Horror Live_ virginity.”

Dean laughed and ran his fingers back through his hair. He started laughing even harder when he pulled out a few grains of rice and Cas immediately joined in. After the laughter died down and Dean caught his breath he said, “I gotta agree, Cas, it was amazing.” Dean opened his menu, glancing over it for a moment before he asked, “So what are you getting?”

Castiel looked up from where he had been looking over the second page, his eyes meeting Dean's. “Oh, well, I’m definitely not having any more toast, that’s for sure!” Dean chuckled and shook his head as he waited for Cas to continue, “I’m going to get the breakfast sampler combo. You can't go wrong with that. I mean it's got bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns, eggs sunny side up, and two pancakes. I’ll get the double blueberry pancakes and drown them in blueberry syrup.”

Dean smiled and shut his menu. “Well you sold me on it, Cas. I'm gonna get that, too, but instead of blueberry pancakes I'm going to get chocolate chip. They go better with the butter pecan syrup and that's my favorite.” 

The waiter came over just as Dean was reaching over to lay his menu on top of Cas’ in the middle of the table. He refilled their soft drinks and took their orders. The waiter’s brow rose slightly at Dean’s request for two cups of coffee. The waiter eyed the two cokes sitting on the table before nodding and adding two coffees to their ticket.

Dean snorted as the young man walked away, “Guess he’s never had both coffee and coke?”

Cas shrugged, “I'm way too thirsty to wait for the coffee and at the moment too damn hot.” He took a swig of his coke. “But soda and pancakes, no,” he screwed up his nose, “just no. You gotta have coffee with the pancakes.”

Dean chuckled, “I hear that.”

They sipped at their cold drinks and chatted about the show while they waited for their food. Dean’s eyes widened as the waiter placed two big plates of food down in front of them and poured two steaming cups of coffee. The waiter told them to enjoy their meal and that he would be back to check and see if they needed anything. 

“Damn, Cas,” Dean said as soon as the waiter walked away, “This is a lot of food.”

“And I plan on eating all of it.” Castiel forked one of his sausage links and slipped it between his lips.

Dean raised an eyebrow and leaned against the table, lowering his voice to say, “You know, Cas, you’re giving me all kinds of naughty thoughts watching you eat that sausage.” Castiel snorted and bit the link in half. Dean fake grimaced. “Just so you know? I like a little less teeth.”

Castiel rolled his eyes and laughed. “You are incorrigible.”

Dean wiggled his eyebrows as he reached for the butter pecan syrup. “Yeah, but you like it.”

Castiel raised an eyebrow as he watched Dean saturate his pancakes in syrup. After they were thoroughly drenched, he began to drizzle the syrup on his hash browns. Castiel wrinkled up his nose. “That's just nasty.”

Dean set the syrup bottle back down in the rack that held the others. “Don't tell me you're a ketchup on your hash browns kinda guy, because I gotta say... that may be a deal breaker.”

Castiel smirked as he grabbed the ketchup bottle and shook it up before covering his hash browns. “Oh, really?” He took a huge bite, his cheeks bulging as he chewed it up, moaning lewdly for good measure.

Dean shook his head as he cut up his pancakes. “You're lucky you're so damn cute.” 

Castiel wiped his mouth with his napkin after he swallowed the massive bite of hash browns. He smiled and they each took a few more bites, much smaller than the first as far as Cas was concerned, before he asked, “Hey, Dean... how would you like to go to the drive-in with me this coming Friday? Boulevard Drive-In Theatre re-opens their screens after the season has ended for one weekend in October. It’s called _Horrorfest_. They are playing the original black and white version of _Night of the Living Dead_ and the original _Halloween_.”

“Those are like _the_ two best iconic horror flicks. It would be awesome to see them on the big screen and I have never been to a drive-in before. That sounds like a lot of fun!” He beamed at Cas and winked. “It's a date.” Dean smirked and added, “I do have one condition though, we drive my baby. Your pimpmobile stays at the apartment.”

“I like my car,” Castiel mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes.

Dean laughed and patted Cas on the hand. “But mine is way cooler and has a super comfy back seat.”

Castiel pointed his fork at him. “Don't get any of _those_ ideas, Mister.”

Dean stuck out his lip in an exaggerated pout. “But like I said, I have never been to the drive-in and it’s your job to give me the total experience, Cas, and that includes a hot make out session _with_ groping. I won't settle for anything less.”

Castiel clicked his tongue and smiled. “Make me burgers for dinner tomorrow and we’ll see.”

Dean returned his smile. “Baby, I will make you burgers every night this week if that will increase my chances.”

Castiel shook his head. “Like I said, Dean -- you are completely incorrigible.”

Dean took Castiel's hand in his and squeezed it. “And like I said, Castiel -- you like it.”

“Yeah… yeah I do,” Castiel replied as Dean's thumb stroked the back of his hand.

* * *

So, for all you Rocky Horror Picture Show virgins, here’s the actual prop list! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to check out my artists links! 
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya next Thursday! :)


	6. Dean Gets a Special Treat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl, Thunderpuffin429, and ZephyrChrysalis for betaing this chapter. And ZephyrChrysalis for the scene dividers and the graphics for this chapter.
> 
> Also links to my artists pages are in the end notes. Go and check them out!
> 
> Happy Reading Guys!!

Castiel slid into the passenger's seat and smiled over at Dean. “You ready for this? Ready for your first drive-in experience?”

Baby roared to life as he winked over at Cas, “You know it.”

As Dean passed an Arby's he glanced over at his date, “Hey Cas, should we stop and grab a bite to eat?”

“Hell, no,” Castiel shook his head. “We are gonna eat there.”

Dean's eyebrow rose as he side-eyed Cas, “Dude, I can't live off of popcorn and raisinettes. I'm a warrior! I need _real_ food.”

“Trust me,” Castiel placed his hand on Dean’s knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You won't regret eating there.”

“Im trusting you to not let me starve.” Dean grumbled, and Cas giggled as he reached forward and turned the music up. The opening to _Kashmir_ filled the car as he relaxed back into the seat.

A little over thirty minutes later Dean was pulling onto the gravel path that led to the drive-in, following the line of cars up to the ticket booth. 

“You know,” Cas looked over at Dean as they waited to purchase tickets. “When I was a teenager me and my friends would take turns hiding in the trunk of the car to get in for free.”

“Castiel!” Dean gasped, “You delinquent you.” He licked his lips and leaned over to whisper in Cas’ ear. “Mmm, bad boys are so hot.”

“Dean,” Castiel shoved his shoulder and pointed to the car in front of them that had just driven off. “Go!”

He pulled up and flashed the worker a smile, “Two adults for screen one.”

The young man working the booth smiled at him, “That’ll be twenty dollars.” Dean took out his wallet and paid the attendant who gave him two blue ticket stubs and a folded yellow piece of paper in return, which he passed over to Cas. “Tune into 93.5,” the worker reminded them and Dean nodded as he pulled away from the booth and drove up the hill to screen one. 

He parked in the main back near the tree line giving them an excellent view of the screen. He turned the key, killing the engine but leaving it on accessory. Dean tuned the radio to the station he’d been told. Scanning the still half empty parking lot, he found the area that housed the restrooms, and then noticed two large tents. He nudged Cas’ shoulder and pointed at them.

“What's with the tents?”

Castiel unbuckled his seatbelt and shifted to face Dean, looking over his shoulder to the tents. “When the drive-in has events like _Horrorfest_ , they set up tents and sell specialty items.” He looked down at the paper they’d been handed with their stubs. “Tonight they have chili, barbecued pork sandwiches with curly fries, funnel cakes, elephant ears, and deep fried twinkies.”

“Now I understand why you insisted we eat here.” Grinning Dean opened his door, “What are we waiting for? A BBQ sandwich and some curly fries sounds awfully good.”

Castiel got out of the car and walked around the front. “Alright, but I'm paying.” 

They started towards the tents and Dean reached over, slipping his hand into Castiel’s. “Deal,” he nodded, “you get dinner and I’ll get us snacks.”

Castiel groaned around his first bite of the spicy honey BBQ sandwich. “This is really good, way better than I remembered.”

Dean took a drink of his Coke and hummed in agreement, side-eying Cas with a smile. They were seated in the Impala, people watching and listening to music as they waited for the movie to begin. 

Castiel glanced over his shoulder at the wooded area behind then and huffed out a small laugh. “I always hated when my dad parked this far back when I was a kid.”

“How come?” Dean mumbled around a mouthful of curly fries.

“Well,” Cas licked his lips, cleaning the barbecue sauce from them. “He owned this old beat up pickup truck, and, of course, me and my friends wanted to sit in the back while we watched the movies.” Castiel smiled as he remembered how he and his friends would cover the bed of the truck in blankets and pile up pillows so they could lay there and watch the movies while they devoured various snacks.

“I was about nine or ten when Mom and Dad brought me and my two best friends, Dylan and Carter, to watch-” Cas snorted and shook his head, “believe it or not… the original, _Night of the Living Dead_.”

Dean laughed, “So this is like a walk down memory lane for you.”

“Hopefully with better memories this time.”

“Oh, no,” Dean reached for his Coke. “What happened?”

“Unfortunately, Dylan’s older brother Matt, who was sixteen at the time, joined us.” Castiel sighed, “And as all big brothers do he enjoyed tormenting the hell out of us.”

“Mmm, yes,” Dean nodded, “the perks of being a big brother.” He licked the salt off of his fingers, “So, what happened?”

“He told us that this was a true story, based off something that happened right here in Lawrence. That there were still some zombies that roamed wooded areas, just like the one behind us.” Castiel shook his head laughing softly. “I don't think me, Dylan, or Carter watched any of the movie, instead we were too busy surveying the woods waiting for a zombie to pop out and get us.”

The car was filled with Dean's laughter, “Oh, man, that's priceless.” He looked over at Castiel who was sporting a major bitch face and shrugged. “It's a big brother thing, it's your job to scare the shit out of your little brother and his friends. I so would have done the same thing to Sam.”

Castiel huffed and picked up his sandwich.

“You know,” Dean said after a moment, “you should feel special, Cas. I don't let just anybody eat in _My Baby_ like this.” 

Popping a curly fry in his mouth Castiel smirked, “You just want to get into my pants.”

“Can you blame me?” Dean let his eyes roam over Cas slowly. 

Castiel blushed and took another bite of his sandwich. 

“That reminds me --” Dean shifted in his seat and reached into his back pocket pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Cas.

He furrowed his brows as he took it. “What is this?”

Dean placed his trash in the plastic bag he had brought with them for that sole purpose and slid across the seat, closer to Cas. 

“Open it and see.” 

Castiel opened the letter and read over it before looking up at Dean. 

“Got that today in the mail. I'm clean.”

Castiel folded the letter back up and handed it back. “You didn't have to show me, I would have taken your word for it.”

“I know you would have,” Dean nodded, “but I was there when you got yours, so I wanted you to see mine,” he replied as he re-pocketed the letter.

Castiel smiled before pulling him into a hard, wanton kiss. Their tongues curled around each other as Cas licked his way into Dean’s mouth, dominating the kiss and swallowing each and every one of Dean’s moans. The music that was playing on the radio suddenly stopped and was replaced by a voice welcoming them to _Horrorfest_ and telling them to enjoy the show. Castiel broke the kiss and Dean chased his lips. Cas smirked and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. 

“The movie is getting ready to start.”

Dean huffed and adjusted his pants to accommodate his half hard cock. “You are a cruel, cruel man, Castiel.”

Cas snorted and laid his head on Dean's shoulder. “You’ll live,” he replied cockily as _Night of the Living Dead_ started playing.

Intermission gave Dean and Cas time to walk down to use the restroom. On their way back to the car, Dean grabbed Castiel's hand and stopped him. 

“That smells so good...Hey, Cas, you wanna split a funnel cake?”

Castiel gave Dean a huge smile, one that showed all his teeth and made his eyes crinkle in the corners. “I haven't had a funnel cake since I was a child!”

Dean tugged on Cas’ hand, pulling him closer to the tent. “Well, I think it's high time we remedy that.” 

As they waited in line to order, Castiel felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Cain Mullen, the principal at Lawrence Elementary. Cain smiled kindly at Cas. “I thought that was you, Castiel.” His eyes darted over to Dean and his smile widened. “Is this the young man I always hear Gabriel and Balthazar giving you a hard time about?”

Castiel nodded, feeling himself start to blush. “Yes, sir. This is Dean.”

“Good to meet you, Dean,” the principal extended his hand. “Cain Mullen. I’m the principal at Lawrence Elementary.” Cain used his free arm to pull the woman that was standing next to him to his side. “My wife, Colette.”

She smiled brightly at Cas. “Nice to see you again, Castiel.” 

“You, too, ma’am,” Castiel replied.

She then turned to Dean. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Dean took Cain's hand and shook it. “It's nice to meet you both, as well.”

Cain turned back to Castiel, “Have you introduced Dean to Gabriel and Balthazar yet?”

Cas shook his head. “No, sir, not yet.” He grimaced, “Trying to avoid it for a while.”

Cain’s eyes shone with mirth. “I can't wait to tell them I was the first to meet him and did so this weekend.”

Castiel laughed and Colette shoved her husband's shoulder playfully. “Cain, don't you have better things to do at work than tormenting those young men?”

“No,” he smiled at his wife and shook his head. “I really don't.”

She rolled her eyes and gave Castiel and Dean another bright smile. “We better go get our snacks before the movie starts. You boys enjoy the rest of your night.”

They exchanged goodbyes and ordered their funnel cake, making it back to the car and getting settled just as the previews ended. As _Halloween_ started, Dean plucked a piece of funnel cake off the plate he was holding and took a bite of the crisp fried dough, getting a puff of powdered sugar on his chin. 

Castiel scooted closer to him with an affectionate smile. “I want a bite.” 

He offered the plate to Cas and he shook his head. Dean looked at Cas, clearly confused. “I thought you said you wanted a bite.”

“I do,” Castiel smiled coyly at him, “but there is no sense in both of us getting our fingers all sticky.”

Dean raised an eyebrow. “So you want me to feed it to you?”

Castiel's smile turned into a smirk. “That was the general idea.”

He balanced the plate in his lap and pinched off a piece of the funnel cake, bringing it up to Castiel's lips. Taking the sugary treat into his mouth Cas moaned as he chewed. As Dean went to reach for the napkin, Castiel grabbed his wrist, “Allow me.” 

Cas closed his lips around Dean's fingers, his hot wet tongue dragging across the pads of Dean’s thumb and forefinger before he sucked them into his mouth. He used his free hand to pick up the plate that had been strategically balanced on Dean’s lap and place it on the dash.

“Ca-” Dean drew in a sharp breath as Cas placed his hand on Dean's crotch and began to massage gently.

Castiel swirled his tongue around Dean’s finger before removing it from his mouth, his hand continuing to work Dean to full hardness. He leaned in and whispered hotly in Dean's ear, “I'm giving you the _total_ experience you wanted, Dean, just what you asked for.” Castiel scraped his teeth across Dean's neck before kissing it gently. “You remember, right? Making out, groping...” He gripped Dean’s hard cock and ran his hand up and down teasingly.

“You're killin’ me, Cas.” Dean let out a shuddering breath.

“Oh,” Castiel ran his tongue up the shell of Dean's ear. “I'm just getting started,” he replied as he popped the button on Dean's jeans.

“What are you doing?” Dean asked, his voice just barely above a whisper.

“You have been very, _very_ good to me all week.” Cas smiled and toyed with Dean’s zipper. “You made me burgers twice, so I'm going to give you one hell of a first time experience at the drive-in. I'm going to suck your cock. Do you want that, Dean? Do you want me to get you off here, now, where anyone could see?”

“Fuck, yes,” Dean groaned and nodded, “I want that, Cas.” 

Dean took a deep breath, licked his lips, and leaned back in his seat. Castiel reached into Dean’s boxer briefs and pulled out his hard cock. Dean let out a soft moan as Cas fisted his dick and began to stroke.

He gave Dean a quick glance before adjusting in the seat and bending forward, placing his head in Dean’s lap. Castiel continued to slowly stroke Dean’s cock, watching how with each up stroke, precum was pushed out of the tip. He dragged his tongue across the crown of Dean’s dick, drawing the precum into his mouth. He teased and tongued the head of Dean's cock, soaking it in his saliva. Castiel attempted to look up, his shoulder bumping the steering wheel, he smirked at Dean as he pulled off, “You know, this would go a lot smoother if you would adjust the seat.”

“Oh, oh, yeah.” Dean reached between his legs for the lever, sliding the seat back with a jolt, then quickly rearranging himself.

“Much better,” Cas purred as he licked his lips before swallowing him down, their eyes locked.

He felt Dean tense, he heard the steering wheel creak as Dean tightened his grip on it. Felt as Dean's thighs shook as he fought the urge to not thrust up into the wet heat of his mouth. He ran his tongue up Dean’s shaft using the tip to tease under the head of Dean’s cock. 

He could tell from Dean’s pants and increasingly loud moans that Dean wanted to buck his hips upward and shove his cock down his throat. After a groan that sounded too loud in the small space of the car, Dean shoved his knuckles into his mouth, biting down, his thighs shaking beneath Castiel’s ministrations.

Castiel drove Dean to the edge over and over, pulling back before he fell into bliss. He watched Dean through hooded eyes as he sank all the way down on Dean’s cock, relaxing his jaw and not stopping until he felt the head nudge his throat. He felt Dean’s hand thread through his hair followed by a soft moan and a gentle thrust of Dean's hips, trying to force his cock deeper.

Pulling off with a wet pop Cas firmly gripped Dean’s dick, jacking it slow and hard as he sucked a kiss onto the head and used the tip of his tongue to dip into the slit. 

“Fuck,” Dean groaned as his grip in Castiel's hair tightened. 

“Feel good, hmm,” Cas asked before he sucked the head of Dean’s cock into his mouth.

“So fuckin’ good, ” Dean groaned as Castiel hummed around his dick, the vibrations driving Dean crazy causing an involuntary thrust. Castiel hummed again, this time in approval of Dean's reaction. 

“You like that, Cas? You like when I fuck your mouth?” 

Castiel nodded as he took Dean deeper. 

Dean growled, both hands now grasping the back of Cas’ head as he bucked his hips up hard and fast, repeating the motion over and over fucking Castiel's mouth in earnest. 

“So close, Cas, so fuckin’ close,” Dean moaned as his hips stuttered. 

He reached between Dean's legs and fondled his balls as he deep throated Dean, his nose resting in the curls at the base of Dean’s dick. He swallowed, the constricting feeling squeezing Dean’s cock and finally pushing him over that blissful edge. 

Castiel felt Dean's dick throb and pulse as he shot his hot release down Cas’ throat. He swallowed it all greedily, licking the last drops from around the head before sitting back up and tucking a very pliant Dean's cock back into his pants and zipping his fly.

Dean pulled Cas into a kiss, groaning as he tasted himself. “That was amazing, Cas, just fuckin’ _amazing_. I want to touch you so bad, can I touch you?”

Castiel nodded and spread his legs. “Yes, please, Dean.” 

He wasted no time unbuttoning and unzipping Cas’ pants, pulling out his thick, rock hard cock. Dean ran his thumb and forefinger along the length of it from base to tip, using the precum to slick the way back down then up again. He gripped Castiel's shaft, moving slowly at first then faster, settling into a hard fast rhythm. Castiel moaned and thrust into Dean's tight fist, slick with his precum. 

“That's right, Cas,” Dean encouraged. “Fuck my fist, take what you want, Sweetheart.”

“I'm so close, Dean. I'm gonna come,” Castiel panted as he continued his frantic thrusting.

Dean tightened his grip. “Come for me, Cas, cover my fist with it.”

“Fuck!” Castiel groaned as he orgasmed, his hot come spilling out and covering Dean's hand. Dean continued to jerk him off, milking him of every single drop until Cas squirmed from oversensitivity.

He watched as Dean took each and every one of his fingers into his mouth, cleaning his hand of Castiel's come. “You taste so good, Cas.” Castiel just whimpered at the erotic sight as he continued to come down from his high. After Dean had thoroughly cleaned his hand, he reached over and tucked Castiel back into his pants, buttoning and zipping them back up.

“Damn, that felt good,” Castiel slurred.

He pulled Cas into his arms and ran his fingers through his hair. “I can't wait to get my mouth on that pretty cock of yours, Cas.”

Castiel nipped Dean on the shoulder. “I am way too wiped out to go again.”

Dean huffed a small laugh and kissed Cas on the cheek. “You definitely made my first trip to the drive-in memorable.” Dean snorted and shook his head, “I’ll _never_ forget tonight.”

Castiel curled up closer to Dean and laid his head on his shoulder. “I'm glad.” He buried his face into Dean’s shirt, “I can’t believe I actually I did that.” He mumbled before glancing up at Dean with red cheeks, “I've never done anything like that before so trust me, I’m never forget tonight either.” 

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas as they watched murder and mayhem unfold on the big screen.

“What do you mean you haven't invited Dean to my Halloween party? It's _tomorrow_!” Gabe grumbled around a tootsie pop. “You didn't forget about it, did you, Cassie?”

Castiel rolled his eyes and took a sip of his coffee. “No, how could I forget, Gabriel? You somehow got a hold of my phone and programmed it to go off daily. For the past two weeks at 6 AM, on the dot, it goes off and your message pops up: _Saturday, October 26th, Gabe's SUPER AWESOME Halloween Party_. So no, I did not forget.”

Balthazar snorted. “That's what you get for leaving your phone unattended, Cassie. You’re lucky he only programmed in that message. He could have taken pictures of the parts of him you never want to see.”

Gabe turned to Zar with a glare. “I did that,” he popped out his tootsie pop pointing it at Balthazar, one, _one_ time in college. Are you ever gonna let me forget it? It's not like you’d never seen a dick before that!”

“Could you guys keep it down?” Castiel hissed at his best friends. “We are in the teacher’s lounge! You know, at our place of _employment_. So, could you two behave?”

Gabe crossed his arms and stared at Castiel. “I will behave if you promise to bring Dean to my Halloween party.”

“It's high time we met him, Cassie,” Zar chimed in. “You two have been dating for over a month now and Cain got to meet him two weeks ago!”

Castiel sighed. “That's because we ran into him at the drive-in, it wasn't planned, you know.”

Zar waved his hand dismissively. “That's beside the point, Castiel. It's time for you to bite the bullet and introduce him to us.”

“Fine,” Castiel groaned. “I’ll invite Dean to your party. You two better not scare him off, I really like this one.”

Gabe made a motion to cross his heart. “We promise to be on our best behavior.” 

Balthazar nodded in agreement, then asked, “So what are you dressing up as, Cassie?”

Castiel looked down at the table avoiding Gabe's eyes. “Well ummmmm-”

Gabriel threw up his hands, exasperated with Castiel. “Seriously?! You don't have a costume Castiel?” 

Castiel looked up at Gabe and shrugged. “I thought I would go as a kindergarten teacher.”

“Oh, hell no! Cassie you are that every day.” Gabriel smirked at him. “That's okay, you can just pick up a costume tonight. After all, Dean's gonna need one, too.” Gabriel and Balthazar started laughing at the disgruntled look on Castiel's face.

“I hate you guys,” Castiel grumped.

“No you don't,” Gabe and Zar replied in unison.

“Honey, I'm home!” Dean called out as he entered Cas’ apartment.

Castiel shook his head and huffed out an amused laugh. “I'm in the kitchen!” 

Dean came in and wrapped his arms around Cas’ waist. “Mmm, something smells great. I'm starving. 

Castiel turned his head and kissed Dean on the cheek. “You look beat, tough day?”

“God, yeah. It was Hell.” Dean leaned against the counter as Cas stirred the sauce bubbling on the stove. “I overhauled the engine in a ’77 Firebird and it was just one problem after another. I got her done though. She purrs beautifully now.” 

Cas grinned as he looked up from the stove “Sorry to hear work was Hell. Why don’t you grab a beer. Get one for me, too. Dinner will be done in ten.”

Dean slipped over to the fridge and grabbed two bottles, “What did you make, smells awesome.” 

”Lasagna, garlic bread, salad.” He took the beer Dean held out, “Go relax, while I finish the salad.”

Dean groaned happily. “Babe, you are amazing… You need me to set the table?”

Castiel shook his head. “You just relax.”

Dean dropped another kiss on Cas’ cheek, “You spoil me. I swear, I'll make it up to you later.”

Cas grinned. “Is that so?”

“Anything you want, Sweetheart,” Dean promised.

Castiel hummed as he pulled some plates out of the cabinet. “I may already have an idea.”

“Can't wait to hear it!” Dean said over his shoulder as he walked into the dining room.

Castiel smiled around his first bite of lasagna as Dean processed his request. “That's what you want, Cas? You want me to go to a Halloween party with you tomorrow and meet your friends?”

He nodded. “Yes, they’ve been bugging me to meet you ever since we met, and even more so since Cain rubbed in the fact that he met you already.”

Dean took a swig of his beer. “We _have_ been going out for over a month,” Dean smirked, “They wanna meet me so they can threaten me good and proper.”

“That's what I'm afraid of,” Cas groaned, “I don't want them scaring you off, or embarrassing me. I told them they had to behave.” He shook his head with a small grimace, “But I know them, I know how they are.”

Dean laughed, “I'm a big boy, Cas. I think I can handle your best friends and I don't scare that easily. Besides, from the things you’ve told me about them? They seem cool. I want to meet them.”

Castiel smiled timidly. “Really?”

He returned the smile. “Yes, really. I'm not planning on going anywhere, Cas. See, I kinda like you, I like you _a lot_.” Dean shrugged, “And your best friends are a big part of your life which means they're going to be a part of mine now.”

Castiel's timid smile grew into a wide, bright one. “I like you a lot, too, Dean, and I have kind of gotten used to having you around.” He admitted as he pinched off a piece of his garlic bread. “I'm glad to hear you don't plan on going anywhere.” 

Dean filled his fork with an impressive amount of lasagna. “Wild horses couldn't drag me away.” He took a bite and mumbled around it, “Plus, you're a damn good cook and make a mean pie.”

“I'm glad to know it’s my culinary skills that are keeping you around,” Castiel deadpanned.

“Not just your cookin’, Sweetheart. You're also _really_ good with your hands,” Dean winked, “And your mouth.”

Castiel shook his head and snorted. “After we finishing eating we can go to _Halloween Express_.”

“Why,” Dean paused, a forkful of salad almost to his lips, “are we going to a Halloween costume store?”

Castiel smirked, “To get a costume for the party tomorrow, why else?”

“You didn't say anything about costumes!” Dean countered. “Is it too late to back out,” he teased.

Castiel nodded his head. “Yes, it’s too late! No backing out, especially if you ever want more than just my hands or mouth.”

He pointed his fork at Castiel. “You drive a hard bargain, Cas, but I'm drawing the line at cutsie couple costumes.”

Castiel laughed as he stood up to take his dishes into the kitchen to wash.

About an hour they were walking down the aisles of _Halloween Express_. Dean picked up a slutty nurse costume and looked at Castiel, waggling his eyebrows. “Wanna play doctor, Cas?” 

Looking up at Dean through his eyelashes. “Maybe in the comfort of one of our apartments.” Castiel took the costume from Dean's hands and hung it back up, giving him a look. “But definitely not for Gabriel's party.”

Dean raised an eyebrow at Castiel. “You are giving me all _kinds_ of naughty ideas.” He went to grab the nurse outfit again. “Maybe I’ll go ahead and get it. Save it for a rainy day.”

He grabbed Dean's hand and pulled him out of the aisle and down to the next. “Let's focus on the task at hand -- finding a costume for tomorrow's party. We can come back later to buy kinky role play costumes, okay?” 

Dean smirked , “I'm holding you to that.”

Castiel rolled his eyes and looked up to read the sign above them, “ _Angels and Devils_.”

Dean hummed in contemplation as he rifled through the costumes. “Ahh hah!” He exclaimed as he pulled one from the rack. It was a full white suit with a set of white wings and a silver halo. “How about this, Cas, you wanna be my angel?”

Castiel grinned impishly and picked up the costume’s counterpart from the shelf, a blood red suit with an attachable Devil's tail and a set of horns. “Only if you’ll be my devil.”

“I think,” Dean grinned, “we have our costumes.” 

Cas chuckled. 

After finding the right sizes for each of them they joined the considerable line for the cashier. They amused themselves by whispering lewd comments to each other about costumes other customers had chosen and Dean pointing out numerous ones he would like to buy for ‘reasons.’ 

In the Impala, Dean reached over and took Cas’ hand in his own. “When we get back, do you want to come over and curl up on the couch, watch a movie? Castiel smiled as Dean continued, “I still have some of that ice cream that you liked so much.”

He gently squeezed Dean's hand. “There's no other way I would want to spend my Friday night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/22636925)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya next Thursday! :)


	7. Party on, Cas!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to give a heads up for accidental consumption of marijuana edibles in this chapter. I don't know if that bothers any one but if it does feel free to message me and I can give you a rundown of this chapter minus that part. And this will be the only chapter that has marijuana use in it.
> 
> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl & Thunderpuffin429 for betaing and ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter. 
> 
> Big thanks to lotrspnfangirl & ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics for this chapter 
> 
> Also links to my artists pages are in the end notes. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made and give them thanks! :)
> 
> Happy Reading Guys!!

Dean pulled up in front of a two-story colonial at the end of a cul-de-sac that was all decked out in Halloween décor. He knew, immediately, that they were at the right place. He pulled Baby in amongst the throng of parked cars. Turning off the Impala and reached for his devil horns, he held back a snort of laughter as he put them on. _How ironic. Oh, the teasing I’d get if Crowley could see me now..._

He cleared his throat and looked over at Cas. “You look sexy, Angel. You know,” he waggled his brows, “I like that pet name. I think I'm going to call you _Angel_ more often.”

Castiel rolled his eyes and scooted closer. “Whatever you want, _hot stuff_.” He leaned forward and rested his forehead against Dean's as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Dean slipping his around Cas’ waist under the white fluffy wings. Castiel closed the minuscule gap between them and kissed Dean before gently nipping on his lower lip, making Dean smile against his mouth.

He ducked and burrowed against Cas’ throat, placing wet open mouthed kisses along his collarbone and jaw line before making his way back to Castiel's plush lips. He cradled Cas’ jaw as he leaned in and kissed him. Lips parted, tongues tangled, Castiel moaned into the kiss as pressed his body closer and threaded his fingers into Dean's hair, knocking his horns askew. The kiss grew needy, moans and groans filled the car. The longer they embraced, the more heated and intense their kisses became until a loud **‘knock, knock’** on the window startled them. 

Dean pulled away and noticed how the windows had started to fog, but unfortunately it hadn’t been enough to obscure the view of their heated makeout session from the two guys standing outside wearing large, mirthful grins. 

The shorter of the two leaned down and smirked, raising his voice so they could hear him clearly. “No banging in my driveway! Now adjust your boners and get out here and join the party.”

Castiel sighed and looked at Dean. 

“Come on, let’s go. They won't go away, trust me.” Castiel looked back out the window. His friends were still standing there waiting on them. “Besides, I'm sure they’re just dying to interrogate you.”

“Well, come on, Cas!” Dean smiled and opened his door. “Let's not keep’em waiting!”

As Dean rounded the front of his car he got his first good look at Castiel's best friends. The one who knocked on the window had to be Gabriel. He was shorter than Castiel, with dark blonde hair that was completely slicked back, and he wore a fake mustache that reminded Dean of a pornstache. Hell, his entire costume screamed cheesy 80’s porn star. From what Cas had told him about the man there was no way that he was wrong in his assumption that this was the Gabriel Messenger he’d heard so much about.

Dean's eyes flitted over to the other man, also a blonde, but a few shades lighter than Gabe. This had to be none other that the Balthazar Milton, famous for escapades that always got Cas into hot water. His hairstyle was very much like Cas’, completely untamable. He stood a few inches taller than Gabriel and was dressed in a chef's costume. Dean had to hold back a snort of amusement because dressed like that, the dude reminded him of Gordon Ramsay. 

“An angel and a devil, what a combination,” Zar said with a smirk as he turned to Gabe and held out his hand. “Pay up.”

Gabe groaned and pulled out a twenty, slapping it into his hand. Zar smiled cheekily before pocketing it. 

“What the hell was that all about,” Castiel asked, his voice laced with amusement.

“We made a bet.” Balthazar grinned impishly. “I bet him that you two would show up in themed costumes, Gabe here said ‘no way’.” He gave them another once over. “Clearly, I was right.”

Gabriel and Balthazar shared a quick look and nodded once before flanking Dean, one on each side of him. They both slung their arms around his shoulders and grinned in at him. Gabe used his free hand to straighten Dean’s horns. 

“There you go, much better.” Dean raised an eyebrow. “Your horns were all crooked... must have happened during your impromptu makeout session. Speaking of making out, Dean-o,” Gabe started but was cut off by Castiel who had walked up behind them.

“Gabriel!” he scolded. “Do not subject Dean to one of your horrible nicknames.”

Gabe looked over his shoulder at Castiel and attempted to glower. “My nicknames are awesome and you know it _Cassie_.”

Castiel rolled his eyes. “Yeah, real _awesome_ ,” he replied peevishly. “How many times have I told you guys not to call me that God awful name! Ever since college I've been stuck with it...Cassie, God, worst nickname ever!”

Dean raised an eyebrow, smirking at Cas. “ _Cassie_?” Dean let out a bark of laughter. “So _that's_ the nickname that you don't like.” Dean turned to Gabe. “I’ve been trying to get him to tell me this dreaded nickname that you gave him for the past month and he would never give in.”

“Don't let his grumpiness fool you, he _loves_ it when we call him Cassie, Dean-o.” Gabe's smile turned mischievous. “Now, back to business. What are your intentions with our dear Cassie here?”

Zar leaned in, adding, “And don't leave out any of the kinky details.” 

Dean wrapped his arms around both their shoulders. “I'm not sure if you guys could handle all the dirty little details.” 

Castiel groaned as he followed the three of them up the walkway. He glanced around the yard as they passed an orange and black no trespassing sign. Gabriel had really outdone himself this year. The lawn on each side of the path was strategically littered with ghosts and graves, blood and dirt smeared into their lettering. The orange and purple Halloween lights cast an eerie glow on the spiderwebs that criss crossed the walkway, framing a makeshift arch where they walked, and wound their way up the steps. 

A set of hanging cauldrons served as lightning once they reached the porch. Before walking up the steps he glanced up to the second floor to admire the boarded up windows. Castiel snorted and shook his head, jogging up the steps to join the others as he wondered who Gabriel had convinced to climb up there and decorate, because Cas knew it sure as hell wasn't Gabe himself.

“Check it out, Cassie,” Gabe smirked and pressed the doorbell. A shrill scream filled the night. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“Very,” Castiel deadpanned as he pointed to the full length plastic door cover. “What the hell is that supposed to be?”

“Seriously?” Gabriel gawked. “That's the Gate to Hell, Cassie!” He sighed and shook his head. “Isn't it obvious?” 

Castiel studied the ominous black gate with shades of crimson blended in. Fire licked it way up the bars and on either side it was guarded by large black dogs with blood red eyes.

“That's so not what the gates of hell look like, and those are the shittiest looking Hell Hounds I have ever seen,” Dean mumbled quietly.

Zar hummed and leaned against the door. “How would you know?” 

Dean’s head snapped up, heart skipping a beat in his chest. _Shit, I said that too loud_. He cleared his throat and let a cocksure grin spread across his lips as he pointed to himself. “Uh, devil here, of course I know what the Gates of Hell look like.”

Gabe let out a loud bark of laughter as he swung the door open. “Ready to party?”

As they stepped inside the foyer, warmth and loud music engulfed them instantly. Fog swirled and rose up from the floor. Gabe smirked at the look on Dean's face.

“Fog machines, pretty fuckin cool, right?”

“Awesome,” Dean agreed with a huge grin as he took Cas’ hand and followed the others down the hall.

“Party's this way!” Gabe sing-songed as he weaved through a few people and glanced over his shoulder. “And by party I mean alcohol!”

Large, long tables covered with orange and black cloths lined the walls, some filled with snacks others a variety of drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic for those who drew the short straw and were designated drivers for the night. Clowns, vampires, doctors, cops, and many other creatures greeted them as they maneuvered through the living room to the refreshments table.

Gabriel picked up two candy corn shots and handed one to Dean, then Cas, before grabbing two more and passing one to Zar. “Bottoms up!”

Dean hummed as he tossed the empty plastic shot glass into the trash by the table. “Not bad.”

“So, Dean,” Zar propped his hip against the table, “tell us _all_ about you.”

Knowing his friends were going to keep Dean occupied for a while, Castiel turned and made his way to the kitchen. He already had the beginnings of a headache that the bass from the party music wasn’t helping, and he wanted to nip it in the bud before it could worsen. Castiel opened the pantry grabbed the bottle of Tylenol off the top shelf where he knew Gabe kept it and then walked over to the sink, ripping open a sleeve of plastic cups with his teeth and free hand. He shook the top cup loose and reached for the tap, filling it halfway with water and sliding it to the side so he could open the pill bottle. He sighed when he shook nearly half the bottle out and quickly replaced them, keeping two white pills in his palm and shutting the lid again. Castiel took them with a large gulp of water before pouring the rest down the sink and tossing the cup into the trash. He picked up the bottle of medicine and returned it to its rightful place.

As Cas was closing the door to the pantry he noticed a silver tray filled with round mini chocolate cakes, minus the frosting. He picked up one of the cakes and examined it before popping it into his mouth. He groaned as the thick liquid chocolate center burst on his tongue. These were good, _really_ good. He grabbed another one of the tasty treats, slipping it into his mouth before he picked up the tray. Surely Gabe had just forgotten to put these out. Castiel helped himself to one more as he walked back into the living room to join the others.

Dean, Zar, and Gabe were still by the refreshments table, now engaged in conversation with Cain and Colette. Gabriel’s eyes widened as he saw Cas approaching with the tray in hand. He glanced over at Zar who wore a similar expression.

“Hey, Gabe,” Castiel held out the tray, “I found these in the pantry when I took some Tylenol. I figured you forgot to put them out.”

“No...” Gabe said slowly, shaking his head. “No those are, uh, they're mine. Just mine. Special, they were a gift. I already have some lava cakes set out see,” Gabe pointed over to the ceramic cake stand filled with lava cakes.

“Oh.” Cas clutched the tray in his hands, looking guilty as he glanced down at the very apparent spot of missing cakes. “I may have, um, sampled these.”

“How many, Cassie?” Gabe’s voice rose to a squeak as he spoke. 

“Three,” Castiel shrugged, “Just three.”

“Three!” Gabriel let out a bark of nervous laughter before clearing his throat and steadying his voice. “Can you put those back for me?”

“Yeah,” Castiel nodded as he turned. “Sorry, I snacked on your present,” he called over his shoulder.

“What's up guys?” Gabriel and Zar jumped at the press of Dean's hand on their shoulders.

Gabe glanced over his shoulder to make sure Cain and Colette were in conversation with another couple before turning back to Dean and mumbling, “Those mini lava cakes were edibles.”

Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. “I would hope they were edible.”

“No,” Gabriel groaned and shook his head. “ _Edibles_ , as in they were made with marijuana butter.”

“Oh!” Dean's eyes widened. “Oh! Shit.” His eyes darted to the kitchen. “You guys gotta tell him,” Dean hissed.

Zar shook his head, looking at Dean like he was crazy. “No, no way. I say we just see how this plays out.”

“I agree,” Gabe nodded. “If we tell Cassie he will freak out. This way is definitely better.”

Dean scrubbed his hand down his face with a groan. “You really are as much trouble as Cas said you'd be.”

Gabe shrugged and laughed as he picked up a shot and held it out to Dean who shook his head.

“No, I need to stay sober so I can keep an eye on Cas.” 

Gabriel nodded, something like approval flashing in his eyes, as he set the shot back down and shared a small smile with Zar while Dean kept his eyes on the kitchen doorway waiting for Cas to return.

When Castiel came back from returning Gabe’s ‘special treats’ to where he found them, he gave Dean a kiss on the cheek and grabbed a Redd's Apple Ale from an oversized pumpkin that had been gutted, filled with ice, and was being used to chill beer. He screwed off the top and joined in conversation with Cain and Colette.

A hand on Castiel’s shoulder had him pausing mid sip and turning to see Gabe smiling at him. “Hey, Cassie, can Zar and I borrow you for a minute? We need help refilling the uh, chip bowls in the kitchen.”

Cain raised an eyebrow and looked over at Dean. “I think they’re going to talk about you.”

Dean laughed and nodded. “I think you're right.” He leaned over and gave Cas a kiss on the cheek. “Go help them refill the _chip bowls_ , Cas.”

Castiel rolled his eyes before draining the rest of his beer and tossing it in the trash can. He glanced over at Dean and his boss. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Heading off towards the kitchen, he caught with Gabe and Zar. “Chip bowls,” he mocked, “Really? Chip bowls? That's the best you two could come up with.”

“I told you that was a shitty excuse,” Zar grumbled. Castiel could hear Dean, Cain, and Colette laughing as he was pulled into the kitchen. 

Castiel leaned back against the counter. “So?” He raised an eyebrow. 

Gabe handed Zar a beer and offered one to Cas, but he declined. “How ya feelin’, Cassie?”

“Um,” Castiel furrowed his brows, “Fine, why?”

“No reason.” Gabe cleared his throat. “So, Dean's pretty cool. We,” he motioned with his beer toward Zar, “have decided you can continue to date him.”

Castiel snorted. “I'm so glad I have your permission.” 

“That makeout session in the car earlier was pretty hot, Cassie.” Zar took a swig of his beer. “How’s he in bed?”

“You guys were not supposed to see that!” Castiel groaned. “And none of your damn business, Zar.”

“Oh, but we did! Come on, now,” Zar wheedled, “Just a few details?”

“We're your best friends, Cassie, give us something!” Gabe chimed in.

Castiel smirked as he thought. “He is _really_ good with his hands.”

Zar huffed and took a swig of his beer. “That's just being a tease and no one likes a tease. Give us more than that.” 

Castiel laughed and shook his head. “That's all you're getting.”

They tried needling him for a few minutes, and when they gained no footing in getting Castiel to open his mouth, Gabriel began to come up with his own idea of what their sex life was like. He made up ridiculous acrobatic sex positions that would make anyone blush. Castiel shushed him as another group of party goers wandered into the kitchen looking for ice.

Zar rolled his eyes and gave Cas’ shoulder a gentle shove. “Since your not gonna give us any dirty details let's get out there. Lover Boy is probably missing you by now.” 

Castiel looked back at Gabe and pointed to the chip bowl on the counter. “You could at least grab that, seeing as that's why we came in here.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Gabe rolled his eyes and snatched the bowl, stopping Zar in the doorway as Cas went on ahead. “You know, he seems perfectly fine for someone who has consumed three pot lava cakes.”

Zar grabbed a chip from the bowl Gabe was holding. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“I hope I didn't get ripped off, that marijuana butter wasn't cheap,” Gabe grumbled as he started walking back over to the group assembled around the refreshment table.

As it turned out Gabriel _definitely_ did not get ripped off on the marijuana butter. It just took a little longer to kick in. About thirty minutes after their talk in the kitchen they started to notice slight changes in Castiel’s behavior. It started off small, like him talking and forgetting what he was talking about in the middle of a sentence. He would stare intensely at the flashing strobes Gabriel had set up until Dean would pull his attention away from them, joking that he was going to go blind if he kept staring at them like that. And as the night went on, the more it intensified.

Gabe and Zar doubled over with another fit of giggles, to which Dean shot them a dirty look, before he sighed and got down on his knees and lifted up the tablecloth. Castiel was sitting underneath there, his eyes shifting back and forth. 

“Whatcha doin’, Cas?”

“That cop,” Castiel whispered, “that cop is watching me again, Dean.”

“Cas,” Dean snorted, “for the last time, he's not a _real_ cop. It's just one of Gabe’s friends that's dressed up like a cop.”

“Really?” Cas narrowed his eyes. “How do we know that for sure? He could be undercover! He could be a cop, _pretending_ not to be a cop, but he's actually a cop.”

“I assure you he's just a normal dude, Cas.” Dean stood back up and held his hand out.

“You sure?” Castiel peeked his head out from under the table.

“I'm sure, space cowboy.” Dean wiggled his fingers to gain Cas’ attention. He was glaring at the ‘cop’ who was drinking a beer and leaning against the wall across the room talking to a pirate and a witch.

Castiel grasped Dean’s hand and let him pull him up. “I don't understand that reference.”

Dean placed a kiss on his forehead. “I'll explain it to you tomorrow, Cas.”

Castiel grabbed another beer from the pumpkin and took a long pull off of it, eyes flickering around the room before saying, “I'll be back in a minute, Dean.”

“Hey Cas, where--” Dean scrubbed his hands down his face as Castiel walked off, not even looking back.

Gabriel grinned widely as he sidled up beside Dean. “How's our lil’ stoner doing?”

“Seriously?” Dean glowered at him. “I just had to coax him out from under a table because he thought the cop was watching him, _again_. And I have no clue where he's going now.”

“Oh, man,” Gabe burst out laughing. “If only he knew that _cop_ was the one I bought the marijuana butter from.” At Dean's intense bitchface, Gabriel’s fit of giggles tapered off into a cough.

Zar nodded towards the couch. “He's over there talking to Chris, the cook in the school cafeteria.” Dean visibly relaxed once he had Cas in his sights again standing next to the man dressed as a doctor.

Castiel inched closer to the doctor before clearing his throat to gain his attention. The man turned to face him. “Excuse me,” Castiel squinted to read his name tag, “Dr. Sexy, but I think I may be having a medical issue.” 

The man burst out laughing and Cas furrowed his brows in confusion. 

“This is no laughing matter, Doctor. I really think something is wrong with me.”

The man’s eyebrow rose. “Castiel, I'm not really a doctor. It's me! Chris, you know, from the school cafeteria?” He snorted and pointed to the beer in Cas’ hand. “How many of those have you had?”

“Excuse me.” Castiel looked over to the new voice and his eyes widened at the sight of the clown standing next to him. “I'm a paramedic, what problems are you experiencing?”

“No,” Castiel shook his head. “You’re a _clown_. You just stay away from me, Pennywise!” He spun on his heels and hurriedly made his way back over to Dean.

After the ‘doctor’ incident Castiel, grabbed a plate and filled it with various snacks. One plate became two, two became three, and Dean had to fight back laugh at the pout on Cas’ face once he realized he had finished off the entire meat and cheese tray.

Dean was listening to Cain tell the story about how he had meet Colette when he realized Cas was gone. He sighed and looked over at Gabe and Zar who just shrugged. Before he could work himself into a panic, Cas walked out of the kitchen with a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other.

Dean laughed softly and shook his head. _The munchies hit him hard_. “Whatcha got there?” he asked when Cas was by his side.

“Apple Jacks,” Cas mumbled around a mouthful.

“Where did you get milk?” Gabriel furrowed his brows. “I thought I was out.”

Castiel nodded, chewing furiously and swallowing hard before answering, “Oh, you were, I had to get creative.” He shoved another spoonful into his mouth and Dean leaned over and looked into the bowl.

“Beer?” Dean asked incredulously. “Did you use beer?”

Cas nodded, smiling proudly. “Yeah! Apple Jacks, apple beer.” He shrugged. “Figured it would be good.”

“Ewww, Cassie,” Zar crinkled up his nose. “That is beyond nasty.”

Gabriel sauntered up beside him and took the spoon from his hand before dipping it into the bowl and filling it. He took and huge bite and chewed thoughtfully. “Not bad, I think you're onto something, Cassie.”

A chorus of ‘gross’ echoed from their friends. Gabe just laughed and picked up a plastic spoon off the table and helped himself to more of Cas’ alcoholic cereal. 

Castiel took another bite and scanned the room. His eyes landed on the cop and narrowed, he was in deep conversation with the Doctor. 

“So…” he said around the mouthful, glaring harder at the pair. “The Doctor is in cahoots with the cop… should have known.” He shook his head in disgust and swallowed hard before taking another big bite.

Dean and Castiel stayed until the party died down and the last of the stragglers left. Along with Zar, they helped Gabe clean up the mess that was left behind. It was well after two o’clock in the morning before they were finally finished and ready to leave.

“Thanks for helping me clean up,” Gabriel said as he walked them out.

“No problem,” Dean told him as he reached for Cas’ hand.

Balthazar slipped on his coat and turned to Dean with a sincere smile. “It was nice to finally meet you.”

“Yeah, you're pretty cool, Dean-o.” Gabe cleared his throat, giving a casual shrug. “This would usually be the time where you'd receive the _‘Hurt him and they will never find your body’_ speech by both me and Zar.” Castiel groaned and Gabriel shushed him. “But after tonight, I don't think it's necessary.” 

Balthazar nodded his agreement with a smile on his face.

Dean smiled back and gave them both a sharp nod filled with understanding. “Good to meet you guys, too.” They talked for a few more minutes on the porch before saying their goodbyes. Dean wrapped his arms around Cas and led him to the Impala. 

When they made it back to their building, Dean walked Cas to his door. He pulled him into a sweet, gentle kiss. “I had fun tonight,” he whispered against Cas’ lips. “I really enjoyed meeting your friends.”

Castiel smiled and nipped Dean's bottom lip. “I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. And just so you know, Zar and Gabe gave me permission to keep on dating you.”

Dean huffed a small laugh. “Well that's a relief," he teased as he closed the gap between them and claimed Castiel's lips once more. Dean ran his tongue across his lover's plump bottom lip before licking his way into his mouth. Cas moaned as his back hit the door and he felt fingertips dig into his hips. He clawed at Dean's shoulders and without warning, he was hoisted up. He gasped and wrapped his legs around Dean, letting him take control.

He let him bite, suck, and lick all his hot spots that were within Dean's reach. They were both panting into each other's mouths at the feel of their hardened cocks grinding together as Dean rutted against Cas. 

A loud ‘ding’ signaling that the elevator had stopped on their floor had them scrambling apart and adjusting themselves. But the smirk from the young woman that lived in the apartment across from Cas said they weren't fooling anyone and that she knew _exactly_ what they’d had been up to. They even heard her mumble on a breathy sigh, “that's so hot,” as she entered her apartment.

Dean laughed as her door shut and he smiled at Cas. “We better call it a night before we give any of our other neighbors a show. You still coming over tomorrow when you wake up?”

Castiel smiled. “Of course.”

“Good.” Dean took hold of Cas’ hand. “Oh, I almost forgot! I wanted to ask you if you wanted to spend Halloween with me? I thought we could order pizza and watch horror movies.”

“I would love to.” Castiel ran his thumb across the back of Dean’s hand. “Of course, we’ll have to get candy to hand out to the trick or treaters.”

Dean furrowed his brows. “We live in apartments, Cas. How many trick or treaters could we possibly get?”

“You would be surprised, last year I bought three big bags of candy and had hardly any left over!”

Dean brought Cas’ hand up to his lips and kissed each of his knuckles. “Then I will make sure to get four bags so we will have some too.”

Castiel leaned in and kissed Dean on the cheek. “Wanna come in, Dean?”

Dean stared down into Cas’ eyes which were still slightly glassy. He fought back a surge of arousal at the look Castiel was giving him as he cleared his throat, arching an eyebrow. “Only to make sure you get in bed, okay?” He pointed his finger at Cas, “No funny business.” Dean smiled at the pout on on the other man's face as he unlocked the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind Dean, Cas grabbed his hand and pulled him down the hallway to the bedroom. Once inside Dean watched as Cas clumsily stripped down to his boxer briefs, giggling as he almost tripped while taking off his shoes.

Dean pulled back the comforter and pointed to the bed. “In, Cas.”

He plopped down, snuggling back into the pillow. “Are you trying to bed me, Dean Winchester?”

“Really?” Dean snorted and shook his head as he picked up the clothes Cas had strewn around the room in his haste to undress. “Who talks like that?” 

Dean tossed the clothes into the hamper in the master bath before walking back over to the bed to tell Cas goodnight. He smiled down at the man who had burrowed himself into the covers and had one hand under his cheek with the other balled up nearly under the pillow. His eyes were closed, his breathing deep and even in the quiet room. Dean turned off the overhead light and adjusted the bedside lamp to where it barely illuminated the room, just in case Cas needed to get up for a glass of water or to use the bathroom. 

He reached down and let his fingers skim down the side of Castiel’s face. He was slightly startled as the other man hummed and leaned into the touch, reaching up to take Dean’s hand in his own before blearily blinking a few times and looking up at Dean with heavy eyes.

“Stay,” Cas slurred around a yawn.

Dean dropped down to his knees and continued to caress Cas’ cheek. “Not tonight,” he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Cas’ lips before rising back up. “Ask me again when you're not under the influence Cheech.”

Castiel hugged his blanket tighter and huffed, “I don't understand all these ridiculous nicknames.”

A smile spread across Dean's face. “Like I said earlier, I'll explain it all to you tomorrow.” Instead of an answer, soft snores filled the room. Dean stood there frozen on the spot staring down Cas who was bathed in the soft glow of the lamplight.

He reached down once more and ran his fingers through Castiel's hair. Dean had really enjoyed himself tonight. He enjoyed the party and he enjoyed meeting Castiel's friends. They were, honestly, the kind of people Dean could see himself becoming good friends with too. He thought back to his life in California. Sure he had had Sam and Bobby, but that was it. No friends to go out with, no one to invite over for pizza, beer, and movies. But he had been okay with that, used to it. Taking care of Sam had always been his number one priority and he didn't regret that, not for one second. 

But tonight had given him a taste of what his past life had been missing, friendship and… Dean looked down at his hand which was still carding through Cas hair, _companionship_. He pulled his hand back like it had been burned and stumbled out of the room.

Dean shut off the lights in the living room and kitchen before leaving, making sure the door had locked behind him. He leaned against Cas’ door and took a few deep, steadying breaths. 

_Where the hell had that came from? It's one thing to think of how it would be nice to have friends and companionship, but it's a whole other ballgame when I start thinking Cas and his friends could fill that position. They can't! Get it together, Dean! This is a job, nothing more, and it can never be anything more! Why the fuck is this job getting to me? I'm a professional damnit!_ Dean sighed and pushed off the door, walking down the hallway to his apartment his chest aching with feelings he didn't quite understand, or better yet didn't **want** to understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/22833344)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya next Thursday! :)


	8. Tricks & Treats of all Kinds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl & Thunderpuffin429 for betaing and ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter. 
> 
> Big thanks to lotrspnfangirl & ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics for this chapter 
> 
> Also the texts that Dean and Cas sent are in the end notes for those who read on devices that do not display graphics and not to mention the links to my artists pages are in the end notes as well. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made and give them thanks! :)
> 
> Oh and there is slight NSFW pics in this chapter.
> 
> Happy Reading Guys!!

Castiel kicked off his shoes, tossed his keys, wallet, and phone onto the counter before hanging up his coat. He rolled his shoulders and headed off for a shower, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. The steam ate away all the aches that came from chasing after five-year-olds all day. After showering, he headed to the bedroom, a towel around his waist deciding what to wear for the night. He quickly got dressed in something comfortable so he’d be ready when Dean got home. Back in the kitchen, he thought about their evening. He grinned as he went to the counter and sent Dean a text.

Thirty minutes later Cas’ phone pinged.

Castiel slipped on his house shoes, grabbed his keys, and headed over to Dean's.

He closed and locked the door behind him, immediately Cas noticed the two large pumpkins surrounded by bags sitting on the counter. He smiled as he walked over to the counter and started to unpack them. In one bag there were green apples, caramels, and popsicle sticks. _Obviously, caramel apples were on the things to do list!_ He couldn't remember the last time he’d had one let alone made them. It has to have been with his mom when he was a child. 

In the next bag there were packets of ranch seasoning, olive oil, two small battery operated night lights that lit when the button was pushed, and two pumpkin carving kits. In the last bag sitting in a large black candy bowl with skeletons all over it were four huge bags of mixed candy, with everything from suckers and fruit candies, chocolates, peanut butter cups, gum, basically everything a kid could want! Castiel chuckled at the sight and got to work.

He was pouring the last bag of candy in the dish when Dean came walking into the kitchen, towelling his hair dry. He walked over and kissed Cas on the cheek. “Do you approve of my candy selection?”

Castiel nodded. “I do. There is a little bit of everything,” he mixed the candy around the dish, “the kids are going to love it.”

Dean reached into the bowl and Cas smacked his hand. “Not until after trick or treaters come!”

“Cas,” Dean whined as he rubbed his hand. “I got _four_ bags so we could have some, too.” 

“You can wait.” 

Dean draped his towel over the back of one of the kitchen chairs and pulled Cas into his arms, running his hands along his back and ass. “You let me have some candy,” he paused as if thinking, “and I,” he grinned as he squeezed Cas’ ass, “will give you anything you want, and I do mean _anything_.”

Cas’ eyebrows rose and he smirked. “Sooo, you're telling me if I agree to let you have candy, I get anything I want in return?” 

Dean nodded.

“So,” Castiel leaned in and whispered. “if I said I wanted you to suck-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Dean was on his knees rubbing Cas through his sweats, looking up at him through hooded lashes. He gripped the top of Castiel's sweatpants and worked them down until they pooled around his ankles. Dean reached up and started massaging Cas’ thick erection through his boxer briefs. Castiel groaned as he braced himself against the table behind him and thrust against Dean's hand. 

“You like that, babe?” Dean growled and Castiel moaned throwing his head back, as he nodded in response. His hips bucked against Dean’s hand making him tighten his grip.

"God, I want you," Cas groaned wantonly. Dean leaned forward and mouthed at Cas’ hard cock through the thin fabric. Castiel gasped and threaded his fingers through Dean's hair.

"Oh, oh, Dean," Castiel keened. “That feels so good.” 

Dean’s hot tongue ran up and down Castiel's hard shaft, the heat and moisture from his mouth soaking the fabric. He slipped his fingers into the band of Cas’ briefs and pulled them down. Dean groaned at the sight of Castiel's bare cock. Taking him in hand, he stroked his lover's shaft, watching as a bead of precum pearled at the tip.

Dean leaned in and ran his tongue over the head, gathering up the precum. He dipped his tongue in the slit, teasing him. Cas moaned loudly, thrusting forward, seeking the wet heat of Dean’s mouth. 

“Please,” he gripped Dean’s hair harder. “Please, Dean.” 

“Tell me,” Dean looked up, “tell me what you want.”

“You, I want you to suck my-” Castiel drew in an almost pained breath and gripped Dean’s hair more roughly as Dean engulfed him. He took every inch of Cas into the hot cavern of his mouth, not stopping until the head rested against the back of his throat. 

"Yes, fuck! Oh, yes! Yes," Castiel panted, breathless. He rolled his hips slightly and gasped as his cock slipped deeper down Dean's throat. Dean hummed around his cock, the vibrations making Cas’ entire body thrum with molten hot desire.

He hollowed his cheeks and began to bob up and down on Cas’ rock hard cock. His grip tightened on Castiel's hips as he licked and sucked. Cas’ moans and groans grew louder the longer Dean teased him. He reached up and gently toyed with his balls as he deep throated him, drawing the most delicious sounds from Castiel's lips. He let his hand drift further back, and on instinct Cas was immediately spreading his legs, craving more touch. Dean slid his finger in between Castiel's ass cheeks and rubbed his finger up and down the cleft before circling his hole, gently pressing against it, feeling it twitch against his finger.

“Dean, I'm so close.” Castiel keened as he thrust his hips forward. “I'm going to come!” Dean sped up and sucked harder, still toying with Cas’ rim. 

“Fuck, fuck, yes!” 

Dean pressed against Cas’ puckered entrance, allowing the tip of his finger to slip in. Castiel groaned as his cock pulsed over and over, his hot come flooding Dean's mouth.

Dean drank eagerly, swallowing every drop Cas offered before he sucked and licked him clean. Over sensitive Castiel began to writhe from his lover's touch, hissing he dug his fingers into Dean's scalp. As Cas’ spent cock slipped from his mouth Dean dropped his head against Castiel's thigh for a moment and planted little kisses where he rested. Cas hummed and carded his fingers through Dean's hair. 

He stood up slowly, pulling Cas’ pants and underwear up with him. He adjusted Castiel's pants before kissing him deeply. 

After a long heated kiss leaving a very breathless Cas leaning against the table for support, Dean stepped back. He reached past Castiel and into the bowl of candy, grabbing a mini chocolate bar. He opened it and popped it in his mouth, winking at Cas as he grabbed the towel that was hanging on the back of the chair and started towards the bathroom again. 

Dean burst out laughing when he heard Cas exclaim, “That was _so_ worth it! Eat all the candy you want!”

When he walked back into the kitchen, Cas was in the refrigerator, the flush of arousal was still coloring his cheeks. He pulled out two Cokes and handed one to Dean. “I saw that you got the stuff to make caramel apples.”

Dean twisted the top off his soda. “Yeah, I thought it would be kinda festive. I also got the stuff to make ranch flavored roasted pumpkin seeds.”

“So,” Castiel hummed, “that's why we have pumpkins, olive oil, and ranch season mix.”

“Mmhm,” he winked, “you see the carving kits? I figured, since we were cutting the pumpkins open anyway, might as well carve’ em up.” Dean gave Cas a small smile, “I haven't carved pumpkins since I was a kid...,” his voice trailed off for a moment, but with a small shake of his head he looked back at Cas, “I thought it would be fun.” He held up a small package, “I bought lights, too! We can carve em’, put the nightlights in, and set them out in the hall for the trick or treaters to see.”

Castiel smiled back, nodding his head in agreement. “So,” he took a sip of his coke, “what do you want to do first, carve pumpkins or make caramel apples?”

“Pumpkins!” Dean exclaimed, “That way we can get them out faster, let the kids know that there be loot here for em’ to plunder!” 

Cas chuckled at Dean’s attempt at a pirate voice as he took one of the carving kits. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Also,” Dean grinned, “we can dig the pumpkins seeds out, get them in the oven and baking while we make the apples.”

Castiel opened the kit. “I hope you aren’t expecting anything professional looking because I never was any good at this...”

Dean laughed, “I'm sure it will look fine, babe.”

After cutting the tops off of both pumpkins and removing the seeds, they took their time carving -- or stabbing in Castiel’s case -- their creations into their pumpkins. When Cas put down his tools and took a step back to survey his work, he nodded once and proclaimed, “Okay, I'm done.”

Dean looked up and over at Cas’ pumpkin. He had to bite his bottom lip to keep the laughter from bubbling out. “Wow... you weren't joking were you? What the hell were you trying to make, Cas?”

Castiel furrowed his brows, cocking his head to the side. “I was going for the classic Jack-o'-Lantern. Two triangle eyes, a triangle nose, and a smile.”

Dean could no longer keep from bursting out laughing as he studied the deformed Jack-o'-Lantern. One eye was larger than the other and higher up, the nose was off center, and the mouth was wider at one end. “You _totally_ nailed it, Cas.”

“I told you,” Castiel shoved Dean's shoulder playfully, “I sucked at this.”

“Yeah,” Dean kissed him on the temple. “You kinda do, but I love your,” his eyes glinted, “demented pumpkin.”

“Well,” Cas huffed, “let's see yours then!” 

Dean turned it to face him with a look of pride in his eyes. Cas smiled as he reached over and picked it up. It was carved to look like the face of Jack Skellington from _A Nightmare Before Christmas_. 

“Wow!” Cas whispered in awe, his eyes wide. “This is really good.”

“Thanks, Cas.” 

He grabbed the nightlights and handed one to Castiel. “Let's get these lights in and get them in the hallway so we can show them off.” 

Dean sat the pumpkins in the hall, and in addition to the pumpkins, he also turned on the hallway light to let the trick or treaters know they were handing out candy. before rejoining Cas.

Cas was already in the kitchen opening the caramel candies and dropping them into a pot. Dean grabbed the bag of apples and popsicle sticks, putting them down beside Castiel. 

“How about you finish opening those,” he pointed to the cellophane-wrapped candies, and get the popsicle sticks in the apples,” he emptied the apples into a bowl, “I will clean up the mess from our pumpkin carving and get the seeds ready to cook.” 

“Deal,” Castiel nodded as he continued unwrapping.

Once all the candies were opened and the apples were washed, on sticks and ready to be dipped, Castiel heated up the caramel while Dean lined a pan with wax paper as he waited for the oven to preheat. After Dean slid the ranch pumpkin seeds in the oven they worked together side by side making the caramel apples. Castiel kept stirring the mixture to keep it from sticking to the pot and scorching while Dean dipped the apples and lined them up on the pan.

After the seeds were cooling, and the apples were setting up, Castiel started cleaning the kitchen while Dean took a seat at the bar looking over the takeout menu from _Old Chicago Pizzeria_. 

“What kind of pizza d’you want, Cas?”

Castiel placed the last of the dishes into the dishwasher and joined Dean at the bar to look at the menu. “How about an extra-large deep dish supreme?”

“That sounds good.” Dean flipped the menu over to look at the appetizers and desserts. “Let's get an order of sweet chili chicken wings, too.” After Castiel nodded his agreement, “I’ll call this in,” Dean grabbed his cell phone just as the doorbell rang. “you,” he grinned as he dialed, “take care of our first group of trick or treaters and then find us a good, scary movie to watch.”

A few minutes later, Dean plopped down on the couch beside Cas, wrapping his arm around him and pulling him close. “They said it will be about an hour, busy night.” He placed a kiss to Cas’ cheek. “Did you give the kiddos candy and find us anything good to watch?”

“Yes and yes.” Castiel nodded, adjusting himself to get more comfortable. “The super heroes and vampires have adequate sugary treats and AMC has a Stephen King marathon running all through the night. _IT_ just came on.”

“That's a good one.” Dean shifted his position having noticed that Cas wasn’t in a comfortable position. “Hang on,” he sat up and reached behind him grabbing the throw blanket that lay across the back of the couch. He moved more toward the corner so Cas could fit up against him and covered them both. They lay together, warm and comfortable as they watched Pennywise terrorize the children of Derry.

Dean started to chuckle remembering Gabe’s party and Cas smacked him lightly on the chest, “Don’t.”

“Oh, c’mon!” Dean pointed at the visage of Pennywise on the screen, “only five days ago you were convinced that he,” he pointed to the screen again and chuckled harder, “was at -- was at Gabe’s party!”

“Well, I wouldn’t have been thinking tha…” they were luckily interrupted by the doorbell.

A quick round of Rock-Paper-Scissors determined that Dean would be the one to answer. He whined but got up to pay for their food and take care of the large group of trick or treaters behind the delivery man, Cas smiled as he went to the kitchen to grab plates, forks, napkins, and drinks.

Dean placed the food on the coffee table and Castiel lifted the box lid and groaned when he saw the pizza. “God, this looks good.”

“Let's dig in,” Dean smiled. “I'm starving.”

They managed to eat half of the pizza and all the wings before they were both so full it was borderline miserable. After gathering their trash, putting away the leftovers, and handing out more candy, they settled back on the couch and waited for the next group of ghouls and goblins to show up.

A little after seven the doorbell rang and Cas practically jumped off the couch to get it. Dean chuckled and followed him. Opening the door they were greeted with a chorus of, ‘Trick or Treat!’ from a pirate, witch, and a skeleton.

Dean smiled and picked up the candy bowl. Castiel reached in, grabbing a handful and putting at least two or three pieces in each bag as he complimented their costumes. This went on for the next hour and a half, as they watched _IT_ , snacked on ranch pumpkin seeds and candy, while they waited for the next group of trick or treaters to show up. At one point they spent more time handing out candy than watching the movie. Finally, the doorbell was finally given a bit of rest. But at eight forty-five, fifteen minutes before the building’s Halloween curfew scheduled the end of trick or treating, the doorbell rang once more. When they opened it Castiel recognized the little girl and boy dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse. It was Sara and her twin brother, Cody, from his class.

“Mr. Novak!” Sara exclaimed with an excited gasp. “We went to your door. I was sad that you didn't answer... I wanted to say hi.” 

Dean smiled at the little girl's enthusiasm. 

Castiel gave her a big grin. “Well, hello, Sara, hello, Cody. It's good to see two of my favorite students outside of the classroom.”

“Hello, Mr. Novak,” Cody whispered, not nearly as outspoken as his sister.

“Whatchya doin’ here, Mr. Novak?” Sara queried, peeking her head into Dean’s apartment. 

“Sara!” Her mother chastised pulling her back.

Castiel smiled at her, “It's alright, Ms. Taylor.” He looked back down at Sara. “This is my friend, Dean. I came over here to watch movies and hand out candy with him.”

Sara’s eyes lit up as she remembered a conversation she had with her teacher over a month ago. “Is this your friend that made you happy ‘cause you had a play date?”

Castiel laughed and smiled at the young girl. “Yes, this is him.”

She turned to Dean and waved. “Hello.”

Dean smiled at her. “Hello, Miss Minnie Mouse.” He dropped four big handfuls of candy into her bag and then into her brother’s.

“I like him,” she whispered to Cas.

“Me too,” Cody agreed, eyes wide as he stared into his candy bag.

Ms. Taylor took her children's hands. “Come on guys, we’ve taken up enough of Mr. Novak’s time.”

Castiel cleared his throat. “Ms. Taylor-” 

“Please,” she grinned warmly, “call me, Emily.”

Castiel returned her grin with one of his own. “Emily, Dean and I made homemade caramel apples, would you and the kids like one?”

“Yes!” The twins said in unison.

Emily smiled down at her kids. “You’re sure it’s no trouble?”

“Oh, absolutely none at all,” Dean replied as he went to the kitchen to get the apples. He came back carrying the tray and let Sara, Cody, and Emily pick the one they wanted.

“Thank you, Mr. Novak, Mr. Dean,” Sara chirped around a mouthful of gooey caramel.

“Yeah, thanks,” Cody whispered.

Emily smiled once again at Dean and Castiel. “You made their night, loading them down with candy and giving them the apples.” She took a small bite of hers and nodded. “These are really good, thank you. You guys enjoy the rest of your night.” She looked at Sara and Cody, “Come on, kids, it's time to get home. Trick or treat is over.”

Dean set the caramel apples on the counter before going out into the hallway and bringing the pumpkins inside, “I’ll get these to the dumpster on my way to work in the morning.” 

Castiel shut and locked the door behind him. “You sure?”

“Yeah, not a problem,” Dean assured him as he put the pumpkin seeds and caramel apples in containers before joining Cas back in the living room. 

Sitting down beside him, he offered Cas a bite of the apple he was holding. Cas leaned in and took a big one. “Mmm, these _are_ good.”

Dean took a bite and nodded in agreement. “Those were two cute kids, Cas, and they really like you.” He looked appraisingly at Cas, “I bet you’re a really good teacher.” 

Castiel smiled. “I try to be.” 

After they finished their apple, Dean pulled Cas into his lap pressing his lips against Castiel's. Dean deepened the kiss as Cas moaned in approval. He tasted the sugary sweetness from the caramel and the apple’s tartness on Dean's lips and in his mouth.

Castiel sucked and licked into Dean's mouth with fierce, passionate desire. He broke the kiss moving to Dean's neck, scraping his teeth against the tender flesh before nipping and sucking at Dean's pulse-point right below his ear, sending a quiver of pure desire through Dean's body.

“Oh, fuck, " Dean moaned before Cas’ lips were on his again. Castiel ran his fingers through Dean’s hair as he slowly rubbed and rutted in Dean’s lap. He could feel the press of Dean's arousal against his with every swivel of his hips. He tightened his grip, pulling Dean’s hair as he rocked harder, seeking friction for his swollen straining cock. Dean grabbed Cas’ hips as he thrust upwards, earning him a responsive broken groan.

“I want you, Dean, take me to bed,” Castiel whispered by his ear.

Dean pulled back and looked into his lust-blown cerulean eyes. “Are you sure, Cas?”

Castiel nodded. “I'm very sure.” As he slid to his feet, Dean followed taking his hand, leading them to the bedroom. 

He gently laid Cas out on the bed before crawling on top of him and caging him in. Dean kissed Cas slowly as he took his time undressing him, pressing warm wet kisses against each and every inch of newly exposed flesh. When Cas was in nothing but his briefs, he gave Dean the same care, slowly stripping him with the same tenderness Dean had shown him. 

Dean continued his explorations, kissing Cas from head to toe, before slipping his fingers into the elastic band of Cas’ boxers slowly dragging them down his thighs, his legs, before taking them completely off . Dean ran his hands up Cas’ legs, kissing and nipping at his thighs as he slid a pillow under him. He continued placing feather light kisses along his hips and over the head of his cock before he gently pushed Cas’ legs back and spread his ass cheeks running his tongue across the puckered flesh. Dean felt a thrum of satisfaction at feeling Cas quiver, his hole flutter under his ministrations. Castiel gripped Dean’s hair as he continued to slowly eat him out. 

Dean licked and laved at his hole until Castiel was loose and pliant. He reached over to the bedside table drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube laying it on the bed before he waved a condom. “D’you want me to use this?”

Castiel shook his head. “We’re clean. I want to feel _you_ , not rubber.” 

Dean groaned, “That's the hottest thing I have ever heard, Cas.” He dropped the condom and popped the lube open, squirting some on his fingers. He slowly worked one in, Cas still very pliant from the tongue fucking. It wasn't long before he could slip in another. Dean leaned back down and flicked his tongue in between his fingers, pushing it deeper as his fingers opened Cas. Dean reveled in every moan, gasp, and plea for more as Castiel writhed beneath him.

He twisted his fingers once more, nudging Cas’ prostate. He couldn’t help the surge of pleasure that shot through him as Castiel arched off the bed, “Please, oh, God, please, Dean. I'm ready, please, fuck me.” 

Dean slipped his fingers free and pushed up to his knees. He let his eyes roam over Cas’ body, taking in its beautiful flushed state, the ragged rise and fall of his chest as he panted, the way his fingers were digging into Dean’s sheets, his entire being was screaming to be taken. Dean snapped the lube open again, slicking up his cock, taking a moment to enjoy the feel of the friction his hand was providing for his throbbing cock. 

He guided Cas’ legs around his hips as he leaned down and claimed the man’s lips, kissing him passionately as he slowly sank in until he completely bottomed out. Cas gasped against his mouth, fingers gripping his shoulders. Dean buried his face in Cas’ throat, running his tongue along the sweaty column. He felt the erratic thud of Cas’ pulse where his tongue touched. 

Setting a slow, languid pace, Dean rocked tenderly and unhurriedly in and out of his lover’s body. 

Castiel swiveled his hips, pulling Dean in deeper. His cock was trapped between their bodies, getting the most gratifying friction as they moved in tandem, the way eased by precum and sweat. Castiel moaned, nipping at Dean’s lower lip as the electricity between their bodies made his entire body buzz.

“You feel so good, babe,” Dean whispered against Cas’ lips. He kissed along Castiel’s jaw and down the column of his throat. “You feel _so_ fuckin’ good.” Dean punctuated each of his words with a kiss and a slow roll of his hips. 

Cas moaned and dropped his head back onto the pillow. He tightened his grip on Dean's shoulder and squeezed his legs tighter against Dean’s waist as he arched his back. He was so lost in ecstasy he couldn't tell where Dean started and he ended. He gasped as pleasure coiled within him, the gentle touches and words Dean whispered into his ear were intoxicating.

Dean kept his pace slow and languid. He angled his hips so his cock nudged against Cas’ prostate on each thrust. Reaching between their sweat slicked bodies he wrapped his hand around Castiel’s cock, stroking him just as slowly as the grind of his hips. Cas moaned and writhed beneath Dean, gyrating his hips to meet his thrusts. Castiel pulled Dean into a kiss, moaning against his lips as he felt his orgasm building low in his stomach. He keened and pushed back against Dean and then up into his fist.

“I'm so close, Dean. So close,” he whimpered.

Dean ran his tongue across Castiel's bottom lip as he tightened his grip around Cas’ cock. “Come for me, Cas. Come with my cock buried deep inside you, filling you full.” Dean thrust in, a low breathy groan falling from his lips as his cock throbbed and he emptied himself deep inside of Castiel. 

Cas gasped as he felt Dean’s release flooding him. Dean ran his thumb over the slit of Cas’ cock and his hips jerked once more before Castiel spilled his release in long thick bursts between their bodies and on Dean’s hand.

Dean collapsed on top of Cas kissing him unhurriedly until they caught their breaths and their hearts were no longer racing. Gently, he pulled out of Cas and laid pressed up against his side, the only sounds to be heard in the room was their breathing. 

As they lay there in the sudden quiet, Dean ran his thumb in tender circles over Cas’ hip bone. 

“That was my first time having sex without a condom.” Castiel said softly, rolling on his side to face Dean. “I've never been in a relationship where I-” he trailed off, unsure how to finish without admitting how deeply he felt for Dean already.

Dean rolled on his side to face Cas, reaching over to cup Castiel's cheek. “It was my first time, too, Cas. I understand how you feel.” There was a serene silence between them for a few minutes before Dean asked, “Did you enjoy it?”

Castiel nodded. “I did, very much so. It felt different, it felt _better_ , it was very stimulating, _amazing_. Did you enjoy it?”

“I did Cas. You are amazing. You felt,” Dean grinned as he continued to rub his thumb over Castiel's hip, “The feeling of your skin on mine? God,” Cas heard the happiness in Dean’s voice. “Hell,” Dean whispered, “I'm surprised I lasted as long as I did with how good you felt.”

Castiel nodded and started to trail his fingertips over Dean’s shoulder. “I understand. You felt so good. I didn't know it could be like that.” His breath caught in a small yawn. “So good.” He pulled himself closer to Dean and smiled as he was pulled still tighter against Dean. He let out a small sigh as he blinked his eyes open, “It’s late. Must be, what, like two? I should go…”

Castiel started to push away, but Dean held him tighter, “Stay,” he whispered.

Castiel bit his bottom lip. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “I'm sure, I want you to stay, Cas.” He locked his gaze on Cas’ and grinned, “Tomorrow’s Friday,” his eyes twinkled, “let's call in, play hooky, spend the day together.”

Castiel laughed. “You just started your job a little over a month ago! Are you sure you won't get in trouble for calling in?”

“Nah,” Dean shook his head. ”Rufus likes me. He won't mind.”

“I gotta warn you, Dean,” Castiel smiled with a mischievous glint. “I've been informed on more than one occasion that I'm a difficult sleep partner. I toss and turn and one time I busted a guy's nose in my sleep.”

“I will gladly,” Dean ran his hand through Cas’ hair, “take my chances if,” he dropped a kiss to Cas’ bottom lip, “it means I get to wake up tomorrow morning with you next to me.”

“Okay,” Castiel chuckled. “I'll stay. And I’ll call in tomorrow.”

“Awesome!” Dean sat up and pulled Castiel with him. “Now, let's clean up and get some sleep. I got plans for us tomorrow.”

“What?” Castiel followed Dean into the bathroom. “What plans? When did you make plan?”

“Just now.” Dean turned on the hot water tap, “And,” he shook his head, “I'm not telling, it's a surprise.”

They took turns cleaning each other with gentle but swift touches. As they finished, Dean reached into the lower drawer of the cabinet and handed a fresh pair of boxers to Cas and took one for himself. 

They crawled into the newly made bed, Castiel snuggling into the bed, laying on his stomach and placing his arm above his head. Dean smiled as he laid beside him, resting his arm just under Cas’ shoulder blades and placing his hand loosely over Castiel’s wrist.

As they lay face to face Dean took a deep breath, the smell of coconut, honey, and a musk that was uniquely Castiel, filled his senses. Cas grinned lazily at him before his eyes fluttered closed, sleep claiming him. 

Dean watched as every line of stress and fatigue melted away, leaving Castiel’s face smooth and looking years younger. He was completely at ease, all the muscles in his face were at peace, his entire body at rest, tranquil and serene. The pure innocence of just _who_ Castiel was showed on his slumbering features; there were no worries, no thoughts of the deal he has made. Dean struggled to push back the pang of guilt he felt at knowing the deal Castiel had struck, at knowing what Castiel was hoping for out of their relationship. 

Instead, Dean focused on the warmth radiating off of Cas’ body, welcoming him as the other man moved closer. He tightened his arms around his lover with a small sigh. He had never been one to cuddle after sex, one to want more, but the words had rolled off his tongue so easily when he had asked Cas to stay the night.

Dean held his breath and reached up, brushing his knuckles gently across Castiel’s cheek. He’d asked Cas to stay… and laying here, wrapped around him in the dark, Dean didn’t regret that choice, even if he _should_. 

He let his arm fall back to his side, fisting in the comforter for a second. Trapped in his thoughts, without Castiel looking at him like he hung the freaking moon and without Crowley over his shoulder with his smug smirk, Dean could admit to himself that he was treading on some dangerous territory. He shouldn’t feel guilty -- he made this deal for Sam, for him and for Sam! But he did. The guilt was becoming a weight wedging itself deeper and deeper into the center of his chest, a constant reminder that, at the very least, Castiel didn’t deserve this. 

Dean was using him, he knew that going in. Now, he knew that Castiel deserved better. 

Dean moved his hand back around Castiel’s waist, drawing him in closer. He pressed his lips to his forehead and felt Cas shift closer in his sleep, his breath warm and comforting against the side of Dean’s neck. Dean sighed to himself, letting his eyes fall closed. 

He could do this, he wanted his life back, he wanted to see Sam again. But he would make damn sure that Castiel had the best time with what little he had left. Anything after, well…. Dean shook his head, he wasn’t going to think about that. He was here, now, and that was what mattered. 

With that final, false reassurance, Dean fell into a fitful slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are the texts between Dean & Cas.
> 
> **To Dean: Don't forget to pick up the candy on your way home.**
> 
> **To Cas: Just got off work. Can't believe Rufus let me off early. On my way to the store now. Do you need anything else?**
> 
> **To Dean: Just for you to hurry up, I missed you today.**
> 
> **To Cas: Will text you as soon as I get home and you can come on over. BTW I missed you today too. See you soon.**
> 
> Thirty minutes later Cas’ phone pinged. 
> 
> **To Cas: I'm home. Hopping in the shower, left the door unlocked for you. Come on over.**
> 
> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23014194)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya next Thursday! :)


	9. One Hundred Forty & Counting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl & Thunderpuffin429 for betaing and ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter.
> 
> Big thanks to lotrspnfangirl & ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics for this chapter
> 
> Also the texts that Dean and Cas sent are in the end notes for those who read on devices that do not display graphics and not to mention the links to my artist's pages are in the end notes as well. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made and give them thanks! :)
> 
> Oh and there is a slight NSFW pic in this chapter.
> 
> Happy Reading Guys!!

Castiel slowly blinked into consciousness. He was warm and felt a comfortable weight settled on top of him. An arm was slung over his waist, holding him close, legs were intertwined with his, and he felt hot breath coming out in puffs on his neck. Castiel smiled. Dean. It had been a very long time since he’d woken up in the arms of another, and even then it had never felt like this, like _home_.

He tried to carefully wiggle out of the arms and legs that held him so intimately, but Dean just tightened his grasp and kissed the back of Castiel's neck. 

“What timezit?” Dean slurred sleepily.

“It's,” Castiel reached for his phone on the bedside table and glanced at it, “six o’clock.” 

Dean grunted into Cas’ neck and snuggled closer. 

After Dean made the suggestion to ‘play hooky’ last night, Castiel had called in to the school's automated system, but Dean still needed to phone the garage. He turned in Dean’s arms and kissed his nose. “Don't go back to sleep just yet, you need to call in.”

Dean sighed and reluctantly untangled himself from Castiel. He yawned and stretched before getting out of bed and padding into the living room where he’d left his phone the night before. He placed a quick call to Rufus informing him he was ‘sick’ and wouldn't be able to make it to work. After hanging up he made a quick trip to the bathroom and then crawled back into bed with Cas.

“Did you get a hold of your boss?” Castiel snuggled up, resting his head on Dean’s chest as his arms encircled Cas’ waist. 

“Yup,” Dean nodded and kissed Cas on top his messy bed head, “and everything is good.” 

Castiel yawned and burrowed closer to Dean. 

“Let's get a few more hours sleep.” Dean reached down and tilted Cas’ head back placing a chaste kiss to his lips. “I have my phone set for eight-thirty.”

“Mmm soundzgood,” Cas mumbled moments before drifting off in Dean's arms.

Castiel woke up for the second time that morning to Dean’s phone playing ‘Smoke on the Water’. Dean blindly reached for it and shut it off before running his hand through Cas’ hair and kissing his forehead. “You know, you weren’t hard at all to sleep with last night. I don't think you moved once.”

“Huh, I don't think that’s ever happened.” Castiel was practically purring as Dean scratched his scalp. “I've never been a calm sleeper.”

“Maybe,” Dean hummed, “that's because you haven't slept with the right person, someone that,” Dean waggled his eyebrows, “wore you out so good the night before it put you into a sex coma.”

Castiel looked up and met Dean's eyes, smirking. “Pretty full of yourself there, Winchester.”

Dean shrugged smugly, well as smugly as he could with the position he was in and kissed Cas on the nose, “Anyway, It's time to rise and shine,” Dean whispered as he ran his hand up and down Cas’ bare back. 

Castiel looked up and glared at him. Dean laughed unable to take Cas’ ‘smitey’ glare seriously with his hair sticking up in all directions. “Ugh.” He flopped back down on Dean’s chest. “One good thing about calling in sick is the ability to sleep in. So why are we getting up so damn early?”

“Told you,” Dean gave him a small peck on the lips. “I have plans for us.”

“Better be some damn good plans,” Cas grumbled.

“The best, Cas. I did some research on my phone, looking for different places I could take you on dates,” he admitted shyly, “and I found Bergmann's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch.” Dean smiled at Castiel's enthusiastic expression. “I figured we could go on a hayride and solve the corn maze.” Dean looked down at Cas. “Did you know they have trivia questions posted all throughout it? The maze? Plus, they also have a small market that sells pies and other goodies.” 

Castiel nodded, “I have heard all about it,” his grin widening, a note of excitement coloring his voice “from several teachers and friends that have been! I’ve wanted to go for the past few years, but just never had the opportunity.” 

“Well,” Dean placed several kisses to Cas’ throat, “now you do.”

Castiel sat up and stretched, the covers slipping down his body. He looked down at Dean to see he was staring at the vast expanse of skin exposed to him. Castiel raised an eyebrow. “See something you like?”

Dean leaned over and ran his tongue up Cas’ spine, stopping to suck bruising kisses into his neck. “Baby, I see _so many_ things I like.” He wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist, pulling them closer together. “What do you say we grab some breakfast, get ready, and head over to Bergmann's?”

“I'm going to get dressed and go to my apartment.” Cas looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I’ll make us breakfast and if you want,” he placed a chaste kiss to Dean's lips, “you can bring your clothes and take a shower with me.”

“I really like the way you think, babe.” Dean nibbled at Cas’ neck, who laughed and squirmed, trying to free himself from Dean's hold.

Once Cas broke loose, he scrambled off the bed, laughing at Dean’s pout as he collected his clothes from the floor and dressed quickly. “I'm going to go start on breakfast. It’ll be done in about thirty minutes so just come over anytime.”

Dean propped himself up on his elbow and motioned Cas to come to him. Castiel leaned down and Dean grabbed him, pulling him back onto the bed and on top of him. “God, you're so fuckin’ hot, with your wild sex hair.” Dean reached up and ran his fingers back through Cas’ untamed hair, resting his hand on the back of Castiel's neck. 

“I think,” Castiel gave Dean a chaste kiss on the lips and hummed against them, “you have a lot to do with the state of my hair this morning.”

Dean ran his hands down Cas’ sides and gripped his ass, rolling their hips together. “What do you say we mess it up some more?”

Castiel smirked and shook his head. “I'm going to go make us breakfast.” He leaned in and whispered in Dean’s ear, “But I may be able to be persuaded into fooling around in the shower.”

Dean swatted Cas’ ass. “Well, get going! The sooner we eat breakfast, the sooner I get to run my hands all over your soapy, naked body.”

Castiel laughed and crawled off of Dean, finding his house shoes under the bed and slipping them on. He gave Dean a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving.

Dean rolled out of bed and put on his clothes from the previous night before going over to his closet and selecting fresh clothes. He settled on a long sleeved black button up and a pair of dark blue jeans. After he folded his clothes and gathered them in his arms along with his boots, he stepped into his slippers and walked into the dining room. 

Dean grabbed his keys out of the glass dish on the counter and as he turned to walk towards the front door he heard the TV turn on. His shoulders dropped and he sighed and turned around. “What do you want, Crowley?”

“And here I thought getting laid would put you in a better mood!” Crowley smirked and raised a bottle of Macallan 1939 like a trophy. “You cut it a bit close, didn't you? I wasn't sure you were going to come through for me on this one.” Crowley leaned forward, pointing a finger at Dean. “You know, after Novak practically begged you to stay with him after the night of his friend’s party.” The King tapped his finger against the arm of the throne and shook his head. “And what did you do? You said no! Tucked the boy in like a caring lover and ran home. You're not, dare I even say it,” Crowley shivered dramatically, “developing feelings for my prize, are you?”

“Don't be ridiculous.“ Dean rolled his eyes. “He was drunk and high, Crowley. I'm _supposed_ to be a good guy here.” He took a step closer to the TV, arms crossed over his chest. “And do you really think,” he cocked his eyebrow, “that fucking him in that state would have earned me any brownie points, hmmm?” 

“I suppose you're right,” Crowley sighed and took a sip of his prize liquor. “I guess I should have never doubted you,” the King smirked, “you’ve yet to let me down.”

Dean put on his best cocky grin. “You know you can always count on me,” he sneered, swallowing back the bile that suddenly rose in his throat at the thought of the _bet_. He found himself wondered why the hell he had that sick feeling at all.

Crowley hummed and scratched his stubble. “That's good to know, Dean. This deal is _very_ important to me.”

Dean huffed, “And you think it isn't to me? This deal is _everything_ to me. I get my life back after this. I get to see Sam again.” Dean felt his chest tighten at the thought of _Sam_ , how could he keep forgetting about him? How had he gotten so caught up in playing house that he keeps forgetting _why_ he was doing this?

“You still have one hundred and forty days to go, you sure you can handle it?” Crowley paused and then gave a dramatic sigh, “Those irksome human emotions are not going to get in your way now, are they?”

“I got this,” Dean growled back.

Crowley clucked his tongue. “You sure? You seem to be getting awfully attached,” he sing-songed, “really fast,” he pursed his lips, “after all you're spending every moment of your free time with him and the longer--”

“I said I got this!” Dean snapped. “I'm just playing a part, Crowley. The part of a man falling in love. You know?” He snorted, “Just like you _wanted_ me to.”

Crowley fingers clenched onto the arms of his throne, fingernails digging in and his facial expression showing displeasure. “Mind your tone with me, boy, and don't _ever_ forget it's just a role, Dean.”

“I'm sorry and of course not, My King.” Dean seethed through clenched teeth. “I really need to be going, I've got to make sure this deal gets closed for you.”

“Eyes on the prize!” He toasted him with his glass, “And remember, Dean... a special kind of hell will be waiting for you _if_ you fail me.” 

The TV screen turned black and Dean had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. 

“It's just a job, Dean. One hundred and forty days to go until you’re free and you can find Sammy.” 

He repeated to the empty room a few times as he collected himself and headed out the door to play his ‘part’ of an enamored boyfriend. After all, pretending was all he was good for. 

Cas _definitely_ deserved a guy better than he could ever be. It was sad he would never have the chance to find him.

Castiel was plating two huge omelets when Dean walked into the kitchen. Dean crowded against his back and looked over his shoulder, noticing two big crockpots on the counter beside the stove plugged in. “Hey Cas, what's in the crockpots?” Dean asked with a nod of his head in their direction. 

“Homemade apple cider and pumpkin cider.” Castiel smiled, leaning into Dean’s body, “I figured we could have it tonight when we get home. Drink some hot cider and watch a movie.” Castiel shrugged, “Sounded like a good way to end the day.”

“I agree, Cas.” Dean returned his smile and kissed the back of his neck. “Sounds like the _perfect_ way to end the day.”

“You,” Castiel pointed the spatula at him, “go lay your clothes on my bed. By the time you do that, I will be finished with breakfast.” 

Dean nodded and walked back to the bedroom while Castiel took the plates to the table. When Dean returned, he was pouring them each a mug of coffee. He motioned for Dean to sit down. 

“Dig in, I hope ham and cheese omelets and toast is okay.” 

“It's more than okay, babe!” Dean smiled and picked up his fork. “Thanks for cooking breakfast.”

Cas shrugged, “Not a big deal and pretty quick and easy since we have plans,” Castiel replied as he cut a piece from his omelet.

“Quick?” Dean wiggled his eyebrows. “You just wanna get me naked and in your shower as soon as possible.”

“Shut up,” Castiel snorted and pointed his fork at him, “and eat your eggs.”

“See?” Dean smirked. “You’re even tryin’ to get me to eat faster so you can have your way with me.”

After they finished, Castiel started to clear the table. But, Dean playfully pulled his plate out of Cas’ reach and shook his head. “You made breakfast, I’ll clean up.” 

Dean collected their plates and glasses, “Why don't you,” he looked over at Cas, “go get the shower ready while I take care of these.” Dean walked into the kitchen after Cas nodded his approval of the plan. He made quick work of rinsing everything and getting them into the dishwasher, setting the delay start before heading to the bathroom. 

Castiel was already in the shower when Dean came in. He undressed and leaned against the doorway watching Cas through the glass doors as the water sluiced down his body. His eyes were closed as he stood under the spray running his hand through his wet hair. When he tipped his head forward he glanced to the side at Dean, cracking a smile that quickly turned into a smirked. “Are you just going to stand there and watch or are you going to join me?”

Dean smirked back as he sauntered over to the large shower. “Just enjoying the view,” he replied as he stepped in. Dean moaned as soon as the hot water ran down his back, soothing the ache in his muscles.

Cas smiled as he watched Dean relax and wrapped his arms around him, giving him a wet kiss before he reached for the soap. He began washing Dean’s body methodically, rubbing his palms over his skin, pressing his fingers into Dean’s muscles. 

As Cas’ soapy hands massaged away his aches, Dean relaxed into the touch, sighed, and closed his eyes. Castiel washed Dean's body with such care it made his heart constrict. He felt a moment of guilt knowing this was all fake, well that he was the fake here, that he was just playing his part. He was making Cas fall for a man that he could never have and he was giving Castiel the illusion he was falling for him in return. 

_Cas is a good guy... he doesn't deserve--_ Dean cut himself off from mentally scolding himself. _This, this was the **exact** shit Crowley was worried about!_ So Dean did what he does best, he surged forward to claim Castiel’s lips, getting a shocked but pleased gasp out of him, as he pushed all those thoughts away, buried them deep inside and reminded himself why he was doing this. It didn’t matter if Cas was a nice guy, he wanted his life back. He wanted to see his brother again. 

As Dean drew the heated kiss back into a softer one, he realized that while he’d been lost in his mind, Castiel had washed his hair, his fingers still rubbing conditioner into his scalp. Dean let himself break the kiss and tip his head back so Cas could gently rinse it from his hair and once he was finished, Dean reached for the soap and gave Castiel the same tender attention. 

They kissed and touched, ran fingers and hands over each other's slick bodies under the shower head, while water cascaded over them. 

"This is enjoyable," Cas murmured into a kiss, his head falling to lay on Dean's shoulder. 

Dean smiled and ran his fingers overs Cas' sharp hip bones, pulling him closer. "You know, there are other ways to make this even _more_ enjoyable," Dean said as he spun Cas around, his back now to Dean's chest. Dean kissed and nipped at the nape of Cas’ neck, drawing sweet little gasps and moans from him.

"Really?" Cas smirked over his shoulder at Dean, "Show me what you had in mind."

In response, Dean slid his hand slowly down Cas’ chest and wrapped it around his semi hard cock. "Dean!" Cas gasped. 

Dean hummed against Cas’ throat, kissing and nibbling at the sensitive flesh as he continued to fist Castiel's cock. Dean’s other hand traveled down Cas’ back between his ass cheeks. He ran his fingers up and down his crack, rubbing the puckered flesh teasingly before he pushed one in.

"Mmm, Cas, you're so tight," Dean panted against Castiel's neck as he worked his finger deeper while grinding his rock hard erection against Cas’ ass.

Castiel moaned and rocked back onto Dean's fingers and then forward into his fist. Dean kissed his way down Cas’ body, dropping to his knees. He kneaded Castiel's ass cheeks before spreading them and leaning in, circling his tongue over Cas’ rim while he added another finger to spread him open so he could press his tongue deeper. His other hand continued to stroke Cas, squeezing gently every few strokes.

He spread his legs wider, giving Dean the room he needed. He planted his palms on the cold tile shower wall, moaning as Dean flicked his tongue in and out of Cas' hole. His legs were starting to shake from the sheer pleasure of it. "I'm gonna, oh God, Dean! So close, don't stop."

"Turn around babe," Dean rasped and Castiel scrambled to comply. Dean reached up and gripped Cas’ cock, taking it into his mouth and sucking him down as he pushed his fingers back in Castiel's ass, finding his sweet spot and massaging it relentlessly. 

The only warning Dean got was Cas yelling his name as hands gripped tightly into his hair. Moments later Cas’ hot come was spurting down Dean's throat. Dean licked and swallowed every drop before pulling off of Cas’ softening cock and standing back up. He pulled Cas into to a kiss.

When he was utterly breathless Castiel broke the kiss. "That was, it was, _very_ pleasurable."

"Did you like that, sweetheart?" Dean cooed against Castiel's lips.

He nodded as he smirked and sank to his knees. Dean groaned at the sight in front of him. Dark wet hair, kiss swollen lips, and beautiful blue lust filled eyes stared up at him through hooded lashes. 

"Now it's my turn." 

Dean smiled, that smile quickly turned into a full body shudder at the feel of the heat of Cas' mouth engulfing him.

His hands desperately tried to grip the tiles before he gave up and found their way into Cas' hair. Castiel curled his tongue around the head and licked the slit of Dean’s thick cock. He moaned as Cas flattened his tongue against the vein on the underside of his shaft and slowly dragged upwards. Castiel pulled back to where he was teasingly sucking on the tip. He sucked hard, rolling his sinful tongue all around the head before flicking it into the slit, licking away the beads of pre come there, and then sinking back down again.

He worked his hand faster on Dean’s cock as he tongued at the head. The sight alone was killing Dean. "Fuck, Cas, look at you. God, look at that mouth. You’re fucking driving me crazy." He took Dean back into his mouth, sucking him all the way down and moaning as he swallowed around the heated flesh. The vibrations set Dean off. 

"Cas, I'm-" was all he could get out before his orgasm ripped through his body. Dean tightened his grip in Cas' hair and pulsed his thick release down his throat.

After a moment to compose himself, he pulled off with a wet pop and slowly stood up, stretching out his cramped legs. Dean dragged him in for a kiss, tasting himself in Cas' mouth. They broke apart, panting and sated. Castiel turned off the water and took Dean's hand. 

"Come on, let's get out and get dressed. We’ve got places to go.”

After a two and a half hour drive to Bergmann’s, they pulled into the parking lot a little after one-thirty. As they got to the ticket counter a with red-haired older woman with an infectious laugh was talking to a young woman. She smiled at them as they approached and made small talk as Dean payed the twelve dollar entrance fee for them. She gave them a run down on the schedule for the hayrides and handed them a folded map for the fifteen acre corn maze -- just in case they got lost and wanted to use it.

“What do you want to do first?” Dean took Castiel's hand, giving his fingers a squeeze. “The hayride or the corn maze or lunch?”

Castiel hummed in contemplation and looked down at the hand out they’d got at the entrance booth. “How about we grab a couple of these boxed lunches at this vender.” Dean pointed down at the paper then looked back up at Cas, “and then do the maze.”

“Sounds good to me.” Dean smiled and swung their connected hands back and forth.

After picking out their lunches they found the perfect spot to eat, a wooden bench near the playground and maze entrance. Dean sat down and patted the spot beside him, Castiel smiled and joined him. They tucked into their turkey sandwiches with homemade kettle chips and fresh out of the barrel pickles. They ate in companionable silence, side-by-side, knees touching as they watched the children run and play on the jungle gym and couples of all different ages enter the maze.

Once Dean polished off the rest of Castiel's chips he threw away their trash and walked back holding out his hand. “You ready to go check this maze out.”

Castiel nodded and took Dean’s hand and let himself be pulled up, “Sure am, lead the way.”

They made their way through the corn maze, stopping and reading the trivia questions posted every few turns. Castiel tugged Dean’s hand as they rounded the large corn stalks and saw another white board.

“Okay, Dean, a boat has a rope ladder that hangs over the side. The steps are one foot apart. If the bottom step lies on top of the water and the tide rises one and a half feet per hour, how many steps will be covered in two hours?”

“Ummm,” Dean furrowed his brows thinking for a moment before answering, “three?”

“Nope,” Castiel smirked. “None. The boat will rise with the tide.”

Dean huffed and rolled his eyes. “That was a trick question, that's cheating.”

“Come on,” Castiel grinned widely and pulled Dean's hand. “Let's find more boards.”

Dean shook his head and laughed. “You are having way too much fun with this trivia.” 

He just shrugged and continued to tug Dean along. A few twists and turns later they came across a larger white board, this one with multiple questions. 

Castiel cleared his throat and started to read, “True or False? Iron weighs more after it rusts?” Dean paused to think and Cas upped the ante. “You get this right and you get a kiss.”

“True. Rust is iron-oxide, a molecule consisting of iron and oxygen. When rust forms, the mass of the iron object is increased by the mass of oxygen that has combined with some of the iron.” He smirked at Cas. “Being a mechanic I know a thing or two about rusted parts and how they _definitely_ weigh more.” Dean puckered his lips, “Now, where's my kiss?”

“I'm impressed.” Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean's shoulders and pulled him into a kiss, immediately licking into his mouth and dominating the kiss. He nipped Dean’s bottom lip and after he had thoroughly explored his mouth, pulled back.

Dean sighed. “I want a kiss like that for every question I get right.”

Castiel laughed and moved onto the next question. “Which ‘Sesame Street’ character makes his home in a trash can?”

“There are two things I know about Sesame Street. One? Bert and Ernie are gay, and two? Oscar the Grouch lives in a trash can.” Dean slipped his fingers into Cas’ belt loops and pulled him flush against his body. “Now, kiss me.”

“Last question, Dean.” Castiel ran his tongue over his kiss swollen lips as he looked back to the board. “How many knuckles are there in a human hand? Four, five, ten, or fourteen?”

“No clue,” Dean shrugged. “I'm gonna guess four.”

Castiel shook his head. “There are ten knuckles in a human hand. Each knuckle starts at the base of the finger. If you include thumbs as fingers, then you get ten knuckles.”

He wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist and placed a few kisses to his neck. “Thanks for the anatomy lesson, _Mr. Novak_.” Dean's teeth worried the tender flesh above Castiel's collarbone before he flicked his tongue out, soothing the sting.

“You didn't,” Cas’ breath hitched, “get the question right, Dean.”

Dean hummed against Castiel's throat. “But you did,” he replied before kissing Cas.

The pair managed to make it all the way through the maze without using the map once. After they reached the end, Dean looked down at his watch. “We’ve got twenty minutes until the next hayride and it looks like we’re supposed to wait outside the farmer’s market.” Dean threaded his fingers through Cas’. “Let's get walkin’.” 

They strolled hand in hand across the farm, passing the children's playground again, the horse rides, and carnival games, where laughter filled the air. When they reached the market, a large hay-filled wagon hitched up to two horses sat out front. An older man wearing a ball cap and a Bergmann’s shirt greeted them. Dean and Castiel climbed into the wagon where three other couples were settling in the hay. Dean sat at the back of the wagon with Castiel flush beside him. They exchanged ‘hellos’ with the other couples and other pleasantries such as, ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘Have you been here before?’ They all chatted until the old man, who introduced himself as Bruce, climbed into the front of the wagon and took the horses’ reins.

As he led the wagon around the farm, through the apple orchards and the pumpkin patch, he told stories about Bergmann's rich past and about the origin of hayrides. Castiel rested his head on Dean's shoulder, his hand in Dean’s as he took in the beautiful scenery and listened to Bruce's stories.

Bruce pulled to a stop back in front of the market about an hour later. Being in the back they were the last couple to get off the wagon. Dean hopped down and took Cas’ hands, helping him. 

“What do you say we go and check out the market?” Dean asked as he took hold of Cas’ hand and started leading them towards the building.

Castiel smiled and opened the barn style doors. “You just want to check out the pies.”

“Damn right I do!” Dean smirked, “You know some pie would go great with the cider you got cookin’ back at your apartment.” 

Castiel shook his head and followed Dean into the little market.

An hour later and holding two pies, they walked out of the little store smiling. Dean shifted the pies in his hands so he could wrap his arm around Cas’ waist. He placed a kiss to his temple. “You ready to head back to your apartment?”

“Almost,” Cas smiled up at him. “While you were trying to find the ‘perfect pies’ the old lady running the shop told me we should check out the overlook on our way home. She said it's beautiful up there, especially around sunset. You can see the whole farm from up there.” Castiel batted his eyes playfully, “Please?”

Dean rolled his eyes, “You think you’re so cute, don't you?”

“Think?” Cas snorted, “I know I am.”

Dean pulled Cas closer against his side. “So, how do we get to the lookout?” Cas smiled and lead Dean over to the Impala. Ten minutes later, he was pulling into the gravel lot beside the Overlook, smiling over at Castiel as he killed the engine.

Dean parked his car in the graveled lot beside the overlook, smiling at Cas as he killed the engine. “Come on, let's go check out the view see if it's as awesome as the lady led you to believe it was.”

The view _was_ astonishing. Dean's breath hitched as he stepped closer to the edge and looked down at the farm. He felt a warm press at his side as Castiel wrapped his arm around his waist and laid his head against Dean's shoulder. “It's beautiful isn't it?” Cas whispered and Dean hummed in agreement, winding his arm around Cas’ shoulder and tugging him closer.

“Yeah, it really is.” 

They stood there in complete silence, watching the busy farm down below them. Dean felt a sense of warmth, happiness, of belonging as he watched the sun set over the corn stalks and trees. It was the most enchanting thing he has ever seen. His eyes trailed over to Cas, the light from the descending sun radiating his features, showing the look of pure awe on his face. 

_Second most enchanting thing._ Dean’s heart started bounding wildly at his unexpected train of thought.

 _Warmth? Happiness? Belonging? Oh, for fuck’s sake! What the hell am I doin? Feeling these things! This isn't supposed to be **real**! Clearly the lines have begun to blur_. Dean felt Cas shiver beside him as a gust of wind whirled around them, pulling him from his thoughts.

He tightened his hold on Cas. “Cold?” Dean asked, hoping his voice didn't shake.

“Yeah,” Cas nodded as he looked up at Dean. “You ready to go?”

“Almost.” Dean reached into his pocket, pulling out his keys and handing them to Cas. “Go get in the car and warm up.” He gave Cas a small smile before glancing back at the miles and miles of beautiful land stretched out below him. “I'm gonna enjoy the view for a few more minutes.”

“Okay.” Castiel leaned up and placed a kiss on Dean’s cheek before unwinding himself from Dean’s hold and walking back to the car.

Dean waited until he heard the car door shutting before placing his hands on his knees and gulping in fresh air. _Oh, God, why the hell is this happening? It's a simple job, just play my part. Six months, just six friggin’ months and there is only one rule, don't fall for the mark_.

“Fuck,” he whispered. “For the first time in my life I'm falling for someone. I'm _falling_ for Cas.”

After deciding that neither one of them was up for cooking when they got home, they stopped for dinner at little diner about an hour from Lawrence. It was nine-thirty by the time they, finally, got home.

Dean had managed to calm himself down from his earlier realization by reassuring himself that it was only an infatuation and he wouldn't let it get any further. He was a professional, afterall. The job came first. 

Castiel unlocked his door and the smell of apples and pumpkin spice greeted them. Dean set the two pies he bought from Bergmann's on the counter by the crockpots and inhaled deeply, a grin spread across his face. Dean wanted apple, Cas wanted pumpkin, so Dean got both. Two pies were better than compromising in his opinion.

Castiel reached into the cabinet, pulling out two mugs. “Why don't I get us some cider and a slice of pie while you find us a movie?”

“You know what I want?” Dean smiled and kissed him on the cheek. 

“Of course,” Castiel rolled his eyes. “I had to listen to a ten minute lecture on why apple is better than pumpkin.”

“Hey, man,” Dean laughed, “I was just statin’ the facts. Whatcha in the mood to watch? Any suggestions?”

“Nope,” Castiel shook his head as he ladled some apple cider into one of the mugs before filling the other with pumpkin. “You choose.” Dean nodded and walked into the living room as Cas sliced into the apple pie.

Castiel placed everything on a table tray for easy carrying and put it down on the living room coffee table before sitting beside Dean. “What are we watching?” He handed Dean his apple pie and cider.

Dean took the plate and mug with a wide smile. “Thanks,” he replied as he balanced the plate on his lap and pressed play.

Castiel picked up his mug of pumpkin cider and smiled as he recognized the intro to the movie. “ _An Officer and a Gentleman_.”

“I like romantic movies on occasion.” Dean shrugged as he took a bite of his apple pie, “just don't tell anyone. I do have a reputation to uphold.”

Castiel laughed, “Your secret is safe with me.” He took a sip of his pumpkin cider and let out a soft moan.

“It’s good, huh?” Dean arched an eyebrow and glanced over. 

Castiel blushed slightly as he nodded. Dean reached out for Cas’ cup and he handed it to him. Dean took a sip and hummed. “It's really good,” he said as he handed the cup back to Cas. “But I still can't believe you chose pumpkin over apple.”

“I usually would pick apple but-” Castiel sighed, “Okay since we are dating there's something you need to know about me.” Cas set his mug on the side table. “I become obsessed with all things pumpkin starting from the first of November until Thanksgiving Day when I eat a whole pumpkin pie by myself at my parent’s house.” Castiel shrugged as he continued, “I essentially see how many pumpkin products one human being can consume in that amount of time.”

Dean let out a loud bark of laughter. “I make a mean pumpkin roll and I've been told my pumpkin bread is also really good.”

“You may have to let me be the judge of that.” Cas smiled as he picked up his pumpkin pie.

Two weeks into November, Dean was already sick of all things pumpkin. 

When Cas made dinner it always centered around pumpkin. One night he made a stew that was baked in a pumpkin. Another night he made pumpkin ravioli with butter sage sauce. And of course, all the deserts Dean provided were all pumpkin orientated. He had already made two pumpkin rolls and three loaves of pumpkin bread along with four batches of pumpkin muffins for Castiel, in support of his _addiction_. If that wasn't enough, over the last week Castiel had started stopping at Starbucks every morning on his way to work to get a Pumpkin Spice Latte. He’d, finally, come to the conclusion Castiel _truly_ was living solely off things made with pumpkin. 

Dean had just made it to the garage when he received a text from Castiel.

And that's how Dean ended up at Starbucks during his lunch break picking up a pumpkin spice latte, a pumpkin cream cheese muffin, and a pumpkin scone for Cas because he wasn't sure which his lover would like more, but he sure as hell knew Cas would eat them both. Since he was already there, he figured he might as well buy lunch. For himself, a bottle of Coke and a Italian-style ham and spicy salami panini, and for Cas, a roasted tomato and mozzarella panini. God knows he needed something without pumpkin in it. Dean also added in a large bag of jalapeño kettle chips that they could split.

He checked into the office at Lawrence Elementary to get a visitor's pass. Cain was talking to the secretary when Dean walked in. He gave a wide smile and told the secretary he would take care of Dean himself. Cain led him to the teachers’ lounge, which was empty at the moment. 

“Take a seat. Castiel should be here any time. I would love to join you guys for lunch but Colette is making me take her to the new little bistro that just opened up the street.”

Dean smiled at him. “Maybe another time, gotta keep the wife happy. You know what they say: ‘happy wife, happy life’.”

Cain laughed as he turned to leave. “Don't I know it,” he called over his shoulder.

Dean sat and waited. He was playing Candy Crush on his phone when he heard someone walk in. Looking up, a huge smile spread across his face thinking it would be Cas, but no. It was a young woman with olive-toned skin, wavy dark hair, and big brown eyes that immediately locked on Dean. She smiled brightly at him as she walked over to the coffee pot and filled her mug. Dean watched out of the corner of his eyes as she approached him. 

“Do you mind,” she asked as she motioned to the seat next to Dean, cocking her hip to the side as she did so. Dean glanced up and saw her leaning just _slightly_ over so that the top edges of her blouse had fallen open.

The last thing Dean wanted was to be stuck having a conversation with this woman until Cas showed up. He knew this routine very well, knew _exactly_ what she was doing, but he didn't want to be rude to one of Cas’ coworkers. He put on his best fake smile and replied, “Sure.”

She sat down and placed her coffee and lunch -- a large cobb salad -- on the table before holding out her hand. “I'm Lisa.”

Dean took her hand and shook it quickly with a tight nod. “Dean.”

“So, Dean, are you subbing for someone?” She gave Dean a once over, her eyebrow rising in approval that made Dean uncomfortable and had him shifting in his seat. “I _know_ I haven't seen you here before, are you new to the district?”

“Um, no,” Dean shook his head. “I'm actually here visiting someone. He just isn't here yet.”

“Lucky me,” Lisa replied as she twisted her hair with her index finger and locked eyes with him. 

Dean almost scoffed at the blatant flirty display. 

“So, Dean, what do you do?”

“I'm a mechanic,” Dean replied as he looked past Lisa towards the door. _When is Cas going to get here?_ He thought to himself, almost missing what Lisa was saying.

Lisa hummed as she placed her hand on top of his, snapping Dean’s attention back to her. “A man who’s good with his hands.”

Dean's mouth went dry and he cleared his throat before opening his mouth to respond.

“Hello, Dean.” 

Dean looked up to see Cas standing behind him.

Lisa gave Castiel a look of annoyance as she slowly dragged her hand away. Dean turned fully in his seat and stood up to face Cas. Balthazar and Gabriel were standing behind him. He noticed the looks of amusement on their faces and almost rolled his eyes but stopped short when he took in the stormy expression on Castiel's. _Is Cas jealous?_ Dean wondered as he watched the stare down going on between Cas and Lisa.

Lisa cleared her throat and looked up at Dean, her cool expression morphing back to the warm, flirty one from before. “So Castiel is who you are visiting? How do you two know each other?”

“He's my boyfriend,” Castiel replied before Dean even had time to process her question. Gabe and Zar snickered behind him, both trying to cover it with a bout of fake coughing.

Her eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Dean and Castiel. “Boyfriend?” Her tone was disbelievingly at best and Dean really didn't like it.

He smiled at her before wrapping his arm around Castiel's waist. “Yup, _boyfriend_.” Dean motioned at the big Starbucks bag. “I brought you lunch, sweetheart, along with your pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin treats.” Dean picked up the latte and Cas reached for it. Dean held it just out of reach. “Where's my kiss, and what do you say?”

Castiel huffed out a small laugh and kissed Dean on the cheek. Out of the corner of his eye, Dean saw Lisa stiffen and stare down into her salad. “Thank you.”

Dean smiled and handed him the venti latte, watching as Castiel took a drink of it. “You’re welcome.”

Zar caught Dean’s attention and nodded to the side. “Grab your guys’ lunch and follow us, we like to sit at the table in the back.”

Dean picked up the bag. “Bye, Lisa, it was nice to meet you.”

She nodded but didn't look up. “Yeah. You too, Dean.”

Gabe laughed as he sat down at the table and leaned forward when everyone took their seats. “Why don't you just pee on him, Cassie? That's a good way to stake your claim!”

Zar joined in laughing, “I have never seen you so _jealous_ , Cassie.”

Castiel huffed, “I was not jealous.”

Dean set the bag of chips between them and handed Castiel his sandwich. “You were, too.” Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’ waist and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “And it was hot.”

Castiel's cheeks flushed as he took a bite of his sandwich. “What else is in the bag?”

Dean smirked. “A cream cheese pumpkin muffin and a pumpkin scone.” 

Castiel's eyes lit up.

“You gotta eat all your lunch first,” Dean interjected with a shake of his head as Cas started to reach for the bag. He rolled his eyes and snorted. “I feel like your supplier, like I should be pouring lines of pumpkin spice on the table and handing you a rolled up dollar bill.”

Gabe and Zar burst out laughing and Castiel grumbled, “I'm not that bad.”

Gabe raised an eyebrow, looking slightly horrified as he said, “No, you’re worse.”

Castiel flipped him off before taking another bite of his sandwich.

“Is it like this every year?” Dean asked Zar and Gabe.

“Thanks to...” Zar pointed at Dean, “... _you_ , it's worse. He has never had a ‘supplier’ as you called it, so he is consuming way more than usual.”

Dean clicked his tongue, “Maybe I should quit making him so much then.”

“No!” Castiel said louder than he had meant to. He blushed and spoke again in a quieter tone. “If you want to keep getting in my pants you will keep making me all things pumpkin.”

Gabe snorted, “Basically if you want Cas’ goodies you will supply him with pumpkin goodies.”

“Withholdin’ sex?” Dean sucked in a breath overdramatically. “That's cold, Cas.”

Castiel finished off the last of his sandwich and took a sip of Dean’s Coke to wash it down. “I know that's the best way to get what I want.” He looked pointedly at the Starbucks bag in front of Dean.

Dean smirked and slid the bag over to Cas, laughing as Cas practically tore the bag open to get the pumpkin scone out. 

“What am I going to do with you? My little addict,” he teased.

Castiel shrugged, “Keep me well supplied?” He gave Dean a big toothy grin. “Thank you for bringing me lunch today, Dean.”

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Cas’ temple. “Anytime, Cas.”

Castiel shot Dean a mirthful smirk as he took a huge bite of the scone.

Gabriel, Balthazar, and Castiel were sitting at their usual table in the back of the teachers’ lounge, chattering about their plans for Thanksgiving break. The three of them were in an especially good mood for two reasons. One, it was Friday, and two, today was their last day before the start of their break.

Zar was rambling on about how he was going to spend his holiday with ‘copious amounts of alcohol and women’ when Gabe elbowed Castiel in the side. He grunted and shot him a glare, but the smile never left Gabriel's lips. He nodded toward the door, “Hey, Cassie. You’ve got a visitor.” Castiel gave him a confused look before he followed Gabe’s line of sight to Dean. 

Dean had just walked into the teachers’ lounge and he was holding a large old fashioned picnic basket, looking shy and slightly nervous standing there. 

“Yo, Dean-o!” Gabe called out, gaining his attention. 

Dean smiled when his eyes met Cas’ as he walked over to their table. He placed the large wooden basket on the table as soon as he reached it and Castiel pointed at it. “What's all this?” he asked Dean.

“I thought we could have a picnic.” Dean ran his hand over the back of his neck, something Cas had come to realize was a nervous gesture. “I saw the perfect tree out back across from the playground last time I was here.”

Castiel smiled softly. “It's fifty-seven degrees and you want to have a picnic?”

Dean shrugged, “I have two big blankets, rosemary and black pepper focaccia rolls, a thermos full of Thai coconut pumpkin soup, and pumpkin cider. Not to mention pumpkin spice cookies with cream cheese icing.”

“You had me at pumpkin.” Castiel’s smile widened as he stood up and took Dean’s hand. 

Dean laughed and shook his head. He looked at Zar and Gabe with a warm smile. “Later guys,” Dean picked the basket up off the table, “You two stay out of trouble, have a good Thanksgiving, and enjoy your break.” 

Gabriel saluted him. “You have a good one, too, Dean-o! And make sure you have Cassie here back in time to mold the lil’ ones’ young minds.”

Zar smirked and added, “You are going to have to make it a quickie.” 

Castiel blushed and Dean gave a pair a thumbs up as he led Castiel out of the teachers’ lounge and outside to the large oak tree.

Dean pulled two hunting blankets out of the basket. Cas raised an eyebrow at them, wondering when the hell Dean got hunting blankets. “They’re warm and they fit,” Dean shrugged when he saw Cas’ face. He spread one over the ground beneath the tree. “Plus, they were on sale.” The second blanket, still folded, he dropped onto the first before sitting on it and reaching up to pull Cas with him and onto his lap. Dean waggled his eyebrows, “Give me a kiss, Cas.”

Castiel tried to shimmy out of Dean’s grip. “Dean! We are at my place of work. _Behave_.”

Dean looked around and then leaned in, nipping at Cas’ ear. “I don't see anyone around, and I just want one. Little. Kiss.” He punctuated each word with well-placed kisses to Cas’ neck. Castiel let out a thick, throaty groan and relaxed against Dean, leaning his head to the side and giving Dean better access to his neck.

Castiel ran his hands through Dean’s hair. “You're a bad influence on me,” he mumbled against Dean's lips.

After a few heated kisses, Castiel thought it was best if he slid off Dean's lap and sat beside him instead. He definitely didn't want to be sporting wood at work. Cas shivered at the sudden loss of Dean’s body heat and he rubbed his hands together.

“You cold?” Dean asked as he took Cas’ hands in his.

“A little,” Cas replied.

Dean brought their joined hands up to his lips and blew on them before pulling the extra blanket out from under him, unfolding it, and wrapping it around him and Cas. “Better?”

Castiel nodded and snuggled into Dean’s side before making grabby hand motions towards the basket. “Let's eat. I'm starving and I'm dying to try this Thai coconut pumpkin soup you made.”

Dean reached for the picnic basket and opening it took out four thermoses. He handed two to Cas and sat the other two beside him. He reached back into the basket and pulled out two spoons and a small bag of pumpkin seeds. Dean saw Cas eying the pumpkin seeds. “They’re to put in your soup. The recipe said a handful of salted pumpkin seeds enhances the flavor,” he explained as he handed him a spoon.

Castiel took the spoon. “Thank you,” he smiled and let his fingers brush over Dean’s. He unscrewed the lid to the thermos that held his soup and Dean opened the bag of seeds, holding them out to Castiel. Cas reached in, took a handful, and dropped them into his soup. Dean did the same before he zipped the baggy back up and placed it back in the basket. Castiel mixed the seeds in his soup before taking a bite. “Mmmm, this is amazing.” 

Dean took a bite and nodded in agreement, “Not bad.” He handed Castiel a focaccia roll and they ate in a companionable silence, sharing warm smiles and gentle touches.

It wasn't until Dean was handing Castiel a pumpkin spice cookie with cream cheese icing that the silence was broken. “Hey, Dean?”

“Yeah, Cas,” Dean mumbled around a mouthful of cookie.

Castiel looked down at the cookie in his hand. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“What’s up, Cas?” Dean licked the cream cheese off his lips. “What do you want to ask me?”

Castiel gnawed at his bottom lip as he contemplated. “Well, I was wondering... I know you said Sam was busy with work and that you would not be able to spend Thanksgiving with him... So I thought maybe-” Castiel took a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly. “I thought that you might like to spend Thanksgiving with me... at my parent’s house.”

Dean ran his hand back through his hair. “You, uh, you want me to meet your parents?” 

“If you thinks it's too soon, or, or,” Castiel nervously rambled, “If you aren’t ready, or just don't want to, I completely understand. I just-”

Dean pulled Cas into a kiss, efficiently shutting him up. “I would love to spend Thanksgiving with you and meet your parents.”

Castiel smiled against Dean’s lips, “Really?”

Dean nodded, “Yeah, of course, Cas.”

He wrapped his arm around Castiel’s waist and Cas relaxed into Dean’s side before taking a bite of his cookie. 

_Dean wanted to come home with him, Dean wanted to meet his parents!_ Cas took another bite of his cookie. _He was falling hard for Dean and he could only hope Dean felt the same way... His heart, and more importantly his soul, was riding on it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are the texts between Dean & Cas.
> 
> **To Dean: Dean it's horrible, absolutely horrible, I woke up late and wasn't able to stop at Starbucks and if that isn't bad enough I was also out of the pumpkin muffins you made me.**
> 
> **To Cas: I just made the muffins the day before yesterday and you're already out? Why didn't you just eat some of the pumpkin roll I made you instead?**
> 
> **To Dean: Because I already ate it. Will you make me more muffins? And maybe another pumpkin roll?**
> 
> **To Cas: Wow Cas that's impressive, you may need to go into rehab after Thanksgiving to detox off all the pumpkin.**
> 
> **To Dean: Haha (that was said sarcastically) What am I going to do Dean? I need my pumpkin!**
> 
> **To Cas: Relax my little addict, I got you.**
> 
> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23175489)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya next Thursday! :)


	10. Meet The Parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl & Thunderpuffin429 for betaing and ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter.
> 
> Big thanks to lotrspnfangirl & ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics for this chapter
> 
> Also links to my artist's pages are in the end notes as well. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made and give them thanks! :)
> 
>  
> 
> Happy Reading Guys!!

It was the day before Thanksgiving and Dean was standing in front of his mirror completely understanding how most turkey’s must be feeling right about now. He was about to do the whole ‘meet the parents’ thing with Cas and, honestly, the chopping block was looking better and better. He let out a long sigh and buttoned up his forest green dress shirt – it had become his go-to shirt of late.

Chuck and Rebecca Novak lived in Kansas City about an hour drive from Lawrence. Castiel and Dean were driving up today and staying the night so they could get up bright and early to help Cas’ mom prepare all the dishes for their Thanksgiving dinner.

Dean had been a little shocked that Castiel invited him home for the holiday and to meet his parents, but he’d been quick to selfishly accept. He had no desire to spend a day, focused around family, home alone. He ached to reach out to his brother and Thanksgiving was just making that ache worse. But Crowley had made it damn clear that if he contacted Sam before their deal was closed and Castiel's soul was in the bag, then their contract would be null and void. 

So when Castiel asked him to come home with him during their picnic lunch he couldn't say no. He pushed away the guilt of this not being real, of meeting the parents of a man, a _good_ man, that he was deceiving and helping condemn to a soulless eternity of being a Crossroads Demon...

Dean jumped. The doorbell shut down his negative thoughts as he hurried down the hall to answer door. There was no need to look through the peephole or ask who it was. It was time for Cas and he was never late. 

“Hey babe,” Dean pulled open the door to an anxious looking Castiel. Dean gathered him into his arms, giving him a kiss on his forehead.

“Hey to you too.” Castiel sat his overnight bag down and Dean held back a smirk as Cas gave him a once over. “You look good.”

Dean looked down at the clothes he’d chosen, the deep green button up and black jeans with his black boots. “You think? I feel like I should be more dressed up.” 

Castiel snorted and pointed to what he was wearing a dark blue Henley and light blue distressed jeans with his navy converses. “You're more dressed up than I am Dean, and honestly, what you wear doesn't mean anything to them. I told you that you could dress casual.”

Dean ran his hand across the back of his neck. “I just wanna make a good impression,” he mumbled.

Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean's shoulders and rested his forehead against Dean's. “They'll love you.” Dean snorted giving Castiel his best confident smile. Sure Sammy loved him and so did Bobby, but they were family, so that kinda came with the territory. But this? This was unfamiliar, unknown terrain. He’d never _met the parents_ before. Regardless of whether this was real or not, it was still a bit intimidating.

Castiel gave Dean a tender kiss, nipping on his bottom lip until Dean opened for him. He swept his tongue into Dean's mouth drawing a groan from him. When they broke apart Cas held his gaze without wavering, “Are you ready to go? I told mom we would be getting there a little after five.”

“Sure am,” Dean strode over to the couch. “Just have to grab this,” he hefted his duffel over his shoulder as he looked over at Cas, “and now, we can be on our way.” Dean walked out into the hallway and Cas pulled the door closed behind them as he followed Dean out to his car.

A little more than an hour later, Dean pulled into the driveway of a nice two story brick ranch house. He killed the engine on Baby and took a deep breath. Castiel reached over and took his hand. “Like I said, you have nothing to worry about. My parents are going to love you.”

Dean nodded and took another deep breath, letting it out slowly before reaching for the door handle. Cas’ hand in his was a comforting warmth as they walked up the driveway and onto the porch.

When they were standing in front of the door Castiel gave him a reassuring kiss on his cheek before he rang the doorbell. 

A muffled voice called, “Castiel! Come in!” 

Cas opened the door and tugged Dean inside into the foyer. Becky greeted them moments later. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail that swayed side to side when she walked towards them. Her eyes a darker blue than Cas’ but no less vibrant, and her smile lit up the room. She pulled Castiel into a tight motherly hug before extending her hand to Dean, her kind voice saying, “You must be, Dean. I’ve heard so much about you. Castiel just won't shut up about you.”

“Mom,” Castiel hissed, a pink blush rising on his cheeks.

She kissed her son on his flushed cheek and shrugged. “Well, it's true.” 

He wrapped his arm around Dean’s waist pulling him closer. “mom, this is Dean Winchester.”

Dean extended his hand, “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Becky took his hand but stepped closer and wrapped her other hand around his upper arm, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Dean.” Her smile beamed with nothing but pure happiness. Dean swallowed thickly as he tamped down the guilt that kept rising up. He glanced over at Cas and saw the same beaming smile on his face.

“mom? Where's Dad?” Castiel asked. Dean and Becky smirked at his quick subject change.

“He won't be home until six, you know he keeps that bookstore open until five-thirty every day, rain or shine.” She shook her head fondly. “I'm lucky to get him to close it on holidays.” Castiel laughed that same fond grin gracing his lips. 

Becky slapped her son's shoulder. “Where are your manners, Castiel? Don't just keep your boyfriend standing in the foyer!” she looked from man to man before raising an eyebrow at her son. “Offer him a tour of the house while I finish making dinner.” 

Cas turned to him, “Would you like a tour of the house Dean?”

Dean nodded and took Castiel's hand. “I would love one.”

Castiel started in the living room. The first thing Dean noticed was how obvious it was that the Novak house was a place with a lot of happy memories. Every wall was filled with family photos showing that this was a home filled with people who loved each other very much. 

Dean walked over to the photos and tapped one of a young Castiel in a blue and white baseball uniform. “You played Little League, Cas?”

“I played one season.” Castiel snorted, “I realized I was more interested in chasing the bees in the outfield than keeping my eye on the ball.”

A loud bark of laughter filled the air as Dean smiled at him. “That definitely doesn't surprise me.”

The next thing Dean noticed was how nicely furnished the living room was, with a matching midnight blue suede couch, love seat and recliner. Dean ran his hand along the arm of the recliner. “The furniture is beautiful.”

Castiel grinned affectionately, looking at Dean’s hand on the fabric. “mom loves midnight blue.”

Dean looked down at the dark cherry hardwood floors, admiring them, before taking in the rest of the room. It held a large flat screen TV, a fireplace with an oriental rug in front of it, and on either side of the fireplace, book shelves filled with a variety of books.

From the living room, you could see both the dining room and the kitchen, which also had the deep cherry hardwood flooring. The kitchen had an island in the center, with a bar surrounding it, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances; that were state of the art. 

“Your mom must like to cook.”

Castiel hummed and nodded. “She does and she's a wonderful one.”

Dean smirked, “Maybe we can trade some recipes.”

Castiel let out a small laugh. “She would love that,” he replied as they walked into the dining room which had a large rectangular oak table that seated eight, under a beautiful crystal chandelier.

Taking a right off from the living room and down a little hall, there was a half bath. Past the half bath and laundry room there was another small foyer, to the left a door that led to Chuck’s den and to the right the garage.

After Cas finished showing Dean the first floor, they took the stairs to the second. Castiel pointed out the guest room and the Master bedroom at one end of the hallway. They took a left and at the end of the hall Cas opened the door into a large bathroom. His brows waggled suggestively at the huge shower and the jetted tub. 

Dean’s brows rose in surprise. “Not,” he whispered, “in your parent’s house!” 

Castiel chuckled softly and shrugged, “Well, this is the one we’ll be using. Towels,” he pointed to the linen closet, “there, along with toiletries and anything you didn’t bring. mom’s got it stocked up like this is a hotel.”

They walked across the hall. “This,” he opened the door, “is my room.” He stepped inside. Dean followed and let out a low whistle. There was a king size bed in the middle of the room, a flat screen on the wall straight ahead from the bed and two closets on each side of the door. 

Dean plopped down on the bed with a small bounce. “Nice room, Cas.”

Castiel sat on the bed beside him. “Thanks.” He leaned in to give Dean a kiss when his mom's voice echoed up the stairs.

“Boys! Dinner’s ready!” 

Castiel sighed and grumbled, “Already getting cock blocked by mom.”

Dean laughed and gave Cas a kiss on the temple. “You go help your mom set the table, I’ll get our bags in from the car and bring them up here before I join you guys.”

When Dean walked into the kitchen, Castiel and Becky were placing dishes on the table. A older man sat at the head. Dean assumed it was Chuck, Castiel’s father. He had messy dark brown hair and Dean found himself thinking, _Was it him who tried to teach Cas how to tame his hair?_ He also had kind blue eyes and about a week’s worth of facial hair. He gave Dean a small smile when he walked into the kitchen. “You must be Dean.”

Dean walked up to him and held out his hand, Chuck took it with a firm grip. “Yes Sir, it's good to meet you.”

“Take a seat, Dean.” Chuck motioned to the chair to his left. Castiel placed the roll basket in the middle of the table and took the seat across from Dean, as his mother sat at the opposite end of the table facing her husband.

Becky smiled at Dean, “I hope you like pot roast. I made roast, potatoes, carrots and rolls.”

Dean nodded, “I love roast, that's sounds amazing,” he gave a small sniff, “Smells even better.”

Becky waved her hands over the spread. “Well, dig in, boys.” 

Everyone ladled food onto their plates and started to eat. After a moment, Chuck shifted in his seat to face Dean. “Castiel says you're a mechanic?”

Dean took a sip of water clearing his mouth of food before he spoke. “Yes Sir, I work at Expert Auto in Lawrence. I've been working on cars since I could walk. I love getting my hands dirty, restoring classics is my favorite.”

“I saw your Impala in the driveway,” Chuck smiled. “She's a beauty.”

“That's Dean's _Baby_ ,” Cas teased.

Dean snorted and smirked at Castiel. “No need to get jealous, Cas, you're my Number One Baby.”

Chuck laughed and Becky cooed, “Awww, how cute.” She looked at Dean. “You know, Dean, you are the first person Castiel has brought home.”

“mom,” Castiel groaned, embarrassed, his cheeks turning a bright red.

“Well, I have never met anyone's parents,” Dean admitted. “So, I guess, this is something new for the both of us.”

Becky cooed once more and Chuck shook his head affectionately at his wife. “Don't embarrass the boys sweetheart.”

Dean turned to Chuck, after winking at his boyfriend. “So, Cas tells me that you own a bookstore Sir, and that it’s been in your family for quite sometime.”

Chuck put his fork down and reached for his napkin, wiping his mouth. His face lit up with a grin, “I do. It has been in my family for the better part of half a century. It’s called the _Men of Letters Bookshop_. I could show it to you sometime, if you would like?”

Dean smiled, nodding his head. “I would love to see it, Mr. Novak.” 

“Please, Dean, call me Chuck. Mr. Novak was my father.” He returned Dean’s smile and went back to eating his dinner.

Becky spooned another helping of potatoes onto Dean's plate once he finished his first. He smiled at her, “So, Mrs. Novak-”

She put her hand on her hip, fixing him with the same look she’d given Castiel earlier. “Oh no, none of that now. You call me Becky… Or mom,” she added with a smirk aimed at her son.

“mom,” Castiel hissed his cheeks flushing pink again.

Dean laughed and his smile widened. “Cas mentioned that you work at Providence Medical Center.”

She nodded. “I do. I've worked there for over thirty years now. I started as a registered nurse and now I'm the chief nurse officer.”

“What does a chief nurse officer do?” Dean asked as he took a bite of his potatoes. 

“Well, I do the hiring for nurses and aides, manage the floor,” Becky explained as she took a sip of her wine. “All the supervisors also report to me, and I do _a lot_ of paperwork.” 

They continued chatting while they finished dinner and throughout desert, Becky had dished out everyone a huge helping of peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream and coffee. After taking his first bite Dean immediately knew how Cas was so good at making desserts. Once they were all finished she tried to clear the table but Dean placed his hand on hers. “You cooked, Cas and I will clean up.” 

Becky tried to argue, saying they were guests, but she was outnumbered two to one and finally, relented. Together Dean and Castiel cleared the table, putting up the leftovers before doing the dishes side by side. “I’ll wash and you dry,” Dean suggested.

Castiel smiled and tossed a dish towel over his shoulder. “Sounds good to me.”

Once they had the dishes washed, dried, and put away, and all the counters and tables wiped down, they joined Cas’ parents, who were both in the living room reading. Chuck was in his recliner flipping through the local paper while Becky was on the couch, thoroughly absorbed in what looked like a trashy romance novel, if the cover showing a large muscular man with long flowing hair kissing a slender brunette on the beach with a sunset in the background had anything to do with the ‘plot’.

They sat down on the loveseat and Becky placed her bookmark in the book and laid it on the table beside her. “Guilty pleasure of mine,” she tapped her fingers against the book.

Dean smiled, giving her a heartfelt shrug. “We all have them.”

Castiel smirked, “Yeah, Dean’s is this God awful soap opera _Dr. Sexy MD_.”

Dean shook his head giving Cas a mock hurt look. “You swore you would never tell.”

Becky giggled, “I’ve watched that show. As a nurse I must say it's incredibly inaccurate, but really? Who’s watching for the plot when there's a sexy doctor in cowboy boots you can be focusing on.”

“See!” Dean exclaimed, “Your mother gets it.” He looked at Cas with an arched brow. “And what about you Cas? What about your guilty pleasure?”

Castiel shrugged, looking down at his pants as if there was something interesting there. “I don't have one.”

Dean turned to face his boyfriend. “Oh, really? What do you call binging on all things pumpkin for almost an entire month?”

Castiel's eyes widened and he flinched as he heard, “Castiel James Novak!” He turned and looked at his mom who had her arms crossed over her chest. “You told me a few years back that you had stopped doing that. That the only time you indulged was on Thanksgiving when you ate the whole pumpkin pie. I shouldn't bake you your own pie this year for lying to me.” Dean could see by the small smile she was trying to hide she was just giving him a hard time.

“But, Mo-om,” Castiel whined and Dean snorted. Castiel teasingly pushed his shoulder. “This isn't funny Dean, you got me in trouble.”

Dean smirked at him, “No, lying to your mother got you in trouble.”

Cas sighed and looked at Becky with wide eyes. “I'm sorry, mom. You're still going to bake me my pumpkin pie though, right?”

Her expression turned sentimental. “Of course I am sweetheart. I have baked you your own pie every year since you were twelve, haven't I?”

Chuck snickered and peaked over his newspaper, his reading glasses perched low on his nose. “That boy has had you wrapped around his little finger since the day we brought him home.”

Becky playfully swatted her husband's arm. “You hush your mouth, Charles, you're one to talk! I don't think I have ever heard you tell Castiel ‘no’.”

Dean laughed. “Cas told me on our first date that you guys spoiled the hell out of him and that you still do.”

Becky grinned dotingly at her son. “Well at least he realizes it.” She shifted her legs under her adding, “Thanks for cleaning the kitchen up for me.”

“It was no problem at all, mom,” Castiel mumbled around a yawn.

“You boys look tired, you should get some rest. We need to be up by six to get the turkey in the oven and to start prepping the side dishes.” Becky looked back and forth between Dean and Castiel. “The guest room is prepared...”

“Dean won't need it,” Castiel blurted out. He cleared his throat and continued, “I mean he's fine with sleeping in my room, right, Dean?”

Dean smiled and took Cas’ hand. “Yeah, I'm good sleeping in your room.”

Becky grinned impishly, “As long as you two promise to behave.”

“mom,” Cas groaned and scrubbed his hand down his face.

Becky cackled and waved her arm towards the stairs. “Go! Get some sleep! I’ll see you bright and early.”

Castiel grabbed Dean’s hand. “Come on,” he whispered pulling Dean out of the living room, “before my mom has another chance to embarrass me.” Dean’s laughter could be heard all the way to Cas’ room.

“I like your parents Cas,” Dean said as he shut and locked the door behind them.

“They like you, too.” Castiel removed his shirt and tossed it by his bag. “I told you they would.” 

Dean walked over to a shelf on the wall by Cas’ closet that held a row of trophies and medals. Dean picked one of the golden statues up and read the plaque: “Castiel James Novak, First Place, Debate.” Dean’s brow arched as he looked at his boyfriend. “Debate? Really?”

“Yes, debate,” Castiel rolled his eyes, “I was on the academic team all throughout high school.” His eyes narrowed as he put his hands on his hips, “You got a problem with that, Winchester?” his voice challenged but his eyes teased.

“No.” Dean shook his head. “Not at all, _nerd_ ,” he teased back. 

Castiel laughed as he grabbed his travel bag with his toiletries. “But I'm a sexy nerd.”

Dean winked, “Can't argue with you on that,” he snorted softly, “besides you would probably beat me seeing as how your sport is debating.”

“Assbutt,” Cas grumped as he walked out the door.

Dean and Cas brushed their teeth, took turns using the bathroom, and stripped down to their boxers before crawling into bed. Castiel rolled onto his side facing Dean, “Are you ready for bed? Or do you want to watch TV for a while?” 

Dean smirked and pulled Castiel’s body flush against his. “I'm not ready for bed just yet, but I don't wanna watch TV either.” He slid his hands down Cas’ back and gripped his firm ass. “Can you think of another way to entertain me?”

“Dean,” Castiel gasped, “my mom and dad are just down the hall! And what about the ‘not in your parents house’ line you fed me when I showed you the jetted tub?”

“You're just too damn irresistible!” Dean bit Cas’ bottom lip sucking it into his mouth running his tongue across it to soothe the sting. “And as for your parents being down the hall? You best be quiet then, babe.” Dean ground his half hard cock against Cas’ thigh

Cas gasped, his head dropping back onto the pillow at the delicious sensation. Dean took full advantage of the Castiel's exposed milky white flesh and began kissing his way across Cas’ collarbone. He nipped and sucked, leaving a trail of love bites across Cas’ skin until he made it up to Cas’ lips and molded his against them. He swallowed up each and every one of Cas’ quiet moans, greedily, desperate for more.

In one smooth motion, Dean shifted them, straddling Cas without ever removing his lips from Castiel's. He ground down, rubbing his hard cock against Cas’ equally hard one. 

Castiel bit his bottom lip to stifle a groan as he gripped Dean's hips and rutted up into him. Dean leaned down and moaned low and dirty into Cas ear. “Does that feel good,” he whispered nibbling on the lobe before he continued, “you know what would feel even better? If we get these boxers off.”

“Yes, oh, yes, Dean, I want you so bad,” Castiel panted against Dean’s throat. 

Dean reached down between them and removed his briefs enough to shimmy out of them before doing the same to Cas’. Once Dean had divested them of their last article of clothing he reached in between them and wrapped his hand around Cas’ length, Castiel bucked up into the warm touch. Dean ran his hand slowly up and down Cas’ shaft, rubbing his thumb across the slit on every swipe up, then smeared the precum down his cock. 

Not wanting to remove his lips from Castiel's throat, Dean fumbled blindly as he reached for Cas’ bedside drawer, opening it, and retrieving a small travel size bottle of lube.

Castiel gasped as Dean worried his sensitive flesh between his teeth. “You planned this?”

Dean did his best to shrug in the position he was in. “What can I say? I couldn't pass up the chance to fuck you in your childhood bedroom, that's just too damn hot.” He smiled at Cas as he popped the top to the lube and poured some into his hand. Dean reached between them once again fisting them both this time, rubbing the lube up and down their lengths, slicking them up.

Dean tightened his grip on their cocks and rocked into his fist, Cas groaned under his breath as he dug his fingers into Dean’s shoulders mimicking the movement. “Mmm babe, you feel so good pressed against me like this.” Dean rasped by Cas’ ear. “What do you want, tell me what you want.” Dean nipped at Cas’ bottom lip.

“I want you Dean, I want to feel, all of you, deep inside me. Feel you rock in and out of me, the slow drag of your cock with each of your thrusts. I want you to make me come, and I want to _feel_ you come.” Cas whispered breathlessly. 

Dean gripped Cas hips as he dropped his head on Castiel’s shoulder. “Fuck, Cas keep talking like that and I'm going to come before the real fun begins.”

Dean surged down and claimed Cas’ lips in a fierce kiss. He pulled back, pupils lust blown and completely out of breath. Dean rolled off of Cas and reached for the lube again, coating his fingers and rubbing them together to warm the slick liquid before pressing his body against Castiel’s side.

Dean trailed his hand down Cas’ body pumping his cock a few times, then giving his balls a gentle squeeze before sliding his fingers down the crack of Cas’ ass. Castiel moaned as Dean fingers began circling his rim and he spread his legs wider in invitation. Dean smiled against Castiel's shoulder. He slowly pressed the tip of his finger in and wiggled it around. Cas’ breath hitched and he pushed down trying to take more in. “Feel good?” Dean asked as he pressed in deeper.

“Mmm, feels so good, I want more.” Dean complied with his wishes and added a second finger, slowly. Castiel groaned and ground down on the fingers inside him. Dean reached his other hand down and wrapped it around Cas’ cock. The litany of moans that dripped from Castiel’s lips had his cock aching and wanting to be inside Cas’ tight heat. He added a third finger and crooked them as he rubbed Castiel's inner walls. He pressed his lips against Cas’ shoulder and pressed in deeper rubbing the pads of his fingers over Cas’ prostate. Castiel arched his back, a loud guttural moan filled the room. 

Dean smirked. “Shhh babe, you don't want to get us caught.” Dean stroked that sensitive spot inside Cas once more and his entire body quivered. Dean could feel Cas’ cock pulsing in his hand and he buried his head in the crook of Cas’ neck, groaning against him.

Dean fingered him, stroking his prostate every few thrusts. In no time at all, Dean had Cas writhing and fucking himself down on his fingers and up into his hand. “Please, Dean, I can't take it anymore, fuck me now.”

Dean withdrew his fingers and Cas whined, eyes tracking Dean’s movements as he poured some more lube onto his hand and slicked up his cock. 

Dean positioned himself between Cas’ thighs, Castiel spreading his legs further, welcoming him. He gripped the base of his cock and guided it to Cas’ hole. Castiel immediately wrapped his legs around Dean’s waist, pulling him in. He pressed in slowly, as soon as the head slid in, Cas arched his back and groaned, gripping Dean’s shoulders tightly. He pushed further into the tight heat. Cas clenched around his cock and Dean stilled when he was halfway in to keep from coming right then. “Mmm, Cas, you are so tight, so hot, it feels fuckin amazing.” Dean rested his forehead against Castiel's as he ran his hands up and down Dean's back.

Once Dean composed himself, focusing on kissing across Cas’ chest and throat before continuing to push in, until he bottomed out, his balls resting firm against Cas’ ass. He stayed like that, giving Castiel time to adjust. Their foreheads stayed connected as they breathed in each other's air. Cas’ fingers ran along every inch of Dean's skin within reach as they traded gentle kisses.

After a few minutes, Cas gyrated his hips, drawing a moan from both men. They kissed and marked each other's shoulders and necks as the love making became more feral. The slow and languid was traded for fast and hard when Cas began to beg Dean for more, for harder, for faster.

Dean growled low and animalistic as he gripped Cas’ hips, pounding into him trying to find the right angle, the perfect angle to take Cas right over the edge. He knew he found it when Cas let out a low dirty groan, his body shaking all over. “There, right there, right there, So close, Dean, so close… Don’t stop,” Castiel grunted against Dean's collarbone. 

Dean kept up the pace as Cas gripped his shoulders harder and wrapped his legs around his waist even tighter, almost making it too hard for Dean to move. He groaned, fingers digging into Cas’ hips as he fucked into him harder. “Dean, Dean, Dean,” His name fell from Castiel's lips like a reverent prayer. “I’m going to… yes Dean.” Cas bit his lip hard.

Dean felt Castiel's cock throb, a warm wetness spread in-between their bodies. The look on the Cas’ face was one of pure ecstasy and Dean was in awe. Castiel had came untouched, he came from Dean’s cock alone. With that single thought and the way Cas’ muscles clenched and spasmed around his cock, it was only a few more thrusts and he was spilling his thick hot release deep inside Castiel's welcoming body. He dropped his head to Cas’ shoulder and bit down to keep from screaming as he rode out his orgasm.

Dean collapsed on top of Cas, laying there until he caught his breath, Castiel running his fingers in patterns over Dean’s back the whole time. 

He gently pulled out, rolled off Cas and out of the bed. He reached inside the bedside drawer for the travel sized wipes he had placed there earlier. He cleaned Castiel then himself off, tossing the dirty wipes into the wastebasket by the bed. Dean climbed back in bed and pulled Cas into him. “You are amazing, Castiel.”

Castiel hummed and kissed Dean's chest, over his heart. “You are too. I'm glad you're here with me Dean.”

Dean kissed the top of Castiel's head. “Yeah, me to Cas. Let's get some sleep.”

Castiel rolled over and reached for Dean, but that side of the bed cold and empty alerting him that Dean had been up for a while. He blinked a few times as he reached up to wipe the sleep from his eyes. He stretched and glanced over at the bedside clock. _Shit_! _Nine o'clock_! _Why didn't Dean wake me up? Why didn't mom wake me up?_ He should’ve been up by six, preparing side dishes, making the pies, getting the turkey in the oven.

Castiel frowned and tossed the covers back. He padded across the room to his travel bag and pulled out a dark grey Henley and black jeans. He dressed, used the bathroom, and brushed his teeth before heading downstairs. 

When Castiel's feet hit the bottom stair he heard loud laughter coming from the kitchen. _What the hell is going on in there?_ he wondered as he made his way to the kitchen where he saw Dean and his mom already prepping dishes. Dean laughing as Becky told him the story of her and Chuck's very first Thanksgiving together as a married couple and how they decided to do Thanksgiving at home just the two of them. “I had never cooked a turkey before and when I went to baste it; juices went everywhere, the oven went up in flames. Needless to say, the turkey was unsalvageable. We ended up going to my parent’s house.” 

“Omigod, that's priceless,” Dean burst out laughing, tears brimming in his eyes. He wiped them away and looked up, finding Cas standing there smiling at him. Dean flashed him a bright smile in return. "Finally decide to join us?" 

"I'm sorry," Cas apologized but then scowled at his mother and boyfriend, "One of you,” he pointed to each of them, “should have woken me up."

"I tried.” Dean laughed, “You grumbled and rolled over before burrowing yourself in the covers.” He shook his head and shrugged, “So, I decided to let you sleep a little bit longer. Your mom and I have everything under control anyway. Isn't that right?” 

Becky looked up from her bowl where she was whipping up the meringue for the coconut pie and smiled at her son. “We sure do! Dean’s an amazing cook. He showed me a new way to make stuffing and was telling me about some of the dishes he cooks.” She pointed the whisk at Castiel, “I'm definitely going to be trading recipes with your boyfriend.”

Dean walked over to the coffee pot, grabbed a mug from the cabinet above it and after filling it topped it off with large amount of pumpkin spice creamer before handing it to Cas. "Looks like you could use this," he smiled and gave Cas a kiss on the forehead. 

Castiel sat down at the table and took a sip of his coffee. “Thanks,” Cas mumbled. “So, what all have you guys got done so far?”

“We got the turkey in at six, _both_ pumpkin pies are made.” Castiel perked up at that and Dean shook his head with a small smile. “I'm working on the apple and pecan now, while your mom finishes up the meringue for the coconut. It’s gotta bake, well, really dry nice and slow.” 

Dean looked back at Becky and grinned, “Having a double oven is awesome, that's definitely a top priority of mine when I buy a house. Did yours come with the house?”

Becky shook her head, "Chuck had it installed for me as a birthday present." 

Castiel drained the rest of his coffee and got up to get a refill. “Where is Dad?”

Becky laughed, “You should know the answer to that, where is he every year while we are cooking?”

Castiel smirked, “Hiding in his den so he doesn't have to help with prep or cook.”

Becky smiled and patted him on the shoulder, “You got it.” She placed her finished coconut meringue pie in the second oven on low and turned to face Dean and Castiel. “All right, boys, I'm going to go see what Chuck is up to, you two hold down the fort.”

As soon as she was gone, Cas walked around the bar and wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck pulling him in for a kiss. 

Dean dipped forward, nipping and licking the seam of Cas’ lips until he opened for him with a moan. He walked them back, pressing Cas against the counter, kissing him until they were both breathless. Finally, he pulled back, and began placing kisses against Cas' throat, lightly sucking after each well placed kiss leaving Cas panting. 

"Dean, mom will be back any minute and as much as I'm enjoying this, I don't want her to catch us making out like horny teens in her kitchen.”

Dean pulled back eyes filled with lust, he groaned and dropped his head to Cas’ shoulder. "Yeah, I know. Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Castiel grinned, "Good to know. So,” he adjusted his half hard cock in his pants, “What do you still need help with?"

"You want to prep the broccoli casserole for the oven?" 

Cas nodded, "Sure." He turned to get the broccoli and block of cheese to grate from the fridge.

Dean grabbed Cas’ arm and spun him back around crashing their lips together once more, kissing him intensely leaving them panting and wanting more. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself _again_ , you are so damn irresistible.” Cas stared at him with need in his eyes. Dean smirked, "You can uh, start on that broccoli casserole now.” 

Once Castiel was settled at the counter, chopping broccoli and grating the cheese, they fell into a familiar rhythm, one that came from many nights spent making dinner together. When Becky returned, a few minutes later, she poured herself a glass of wine and sat at the bar watching her son and his boyfriend work together in tandem. She grinned as she watched and decided it was time to share a little of Cas’ childhood history with his new man. 

Dean was doubled over, tears in his eyes, laughing. “He did not.” He looked over at Cas who was beet red.

Becky nodded, “Oh I assure you he did.” She drained the rest of her wine. “I turned my back just for a minute to tell the butcher at the local grocery what I wanted. I felt a tap on my shoulder and a older woman who whispered into my ear, excuse me, love, your child is dancing naked beside the produce.” Becky filled her glass and shook her head. “I looked down and sure enough Castiel was gone, and beside the buggy was his clothes in a pile and there he was, my four year old baby boy, by the apples dancing butt naked.”

“You,” Dean wrapped his arms around Cas, “little exhibitionist.”

“Shut up,” Cas grumbled thoroughly embarrassed as he tried to pull free. 

The kitchen was filled with Becky regaling Dean with all the embarrassing childhood stories about Castiel she could remember off the top of her head, much to Cas’ dismay. The sounds of laughter coupled with the scents of foods baking filled the house. The embarrassment was only broken up as Cas and Dean took turns feeding each other bites of what they were making and Becky’s commentary broken up with comments of ‘how adorable’ they were.

When the food was almost done, Chuck walked into the kitchen, immediately a deep breath. “It smells wonderful in here, is it almost time to eat?”

Castiel looked down at his watch, “Everything will be done in about twenty minutes.”

Becky took her husband's hand, “They have the cooking under control, let's go set the table.” Chuck nodded and grabbed the stack of dishes off the bar. After the table was set Chuck and Becky started carrying dishes into the dining room. The table was loaded down with potatoes, turkey gravy, corn, green bean casserole, and a basket of rolls.

When the timer dinged, Dean pulled the final four side dishes from the oven. Cas slipped on a pair of oven mitts and he and Dean packed the stuffing, broccoli cheese casserole, baked Mac-n-cheese, and candied yams to the dining room placing them on the table with the other dishes that surrounded a perfectly cooked golden brown turkey.

Chuck carved the turkey and Becky said grace before they all piled their plates high with their favorites. In between stuffing their faces, conversation and laughter flowed. Everyone had seconds, and the men thirds before they were all complaining about how stuffed they were.

Becky stacked their plates and stood up to clear the table. “What do you say we go into the living room and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade? I recorded it on the DVR.”

Castiel stood up and took the plates from his mom’s hands. “You and Dad go on in the living room and turn it on while Dean and I wash the dishes and put up the leftovers.”

Becky opened her mouth and Dean cut her off. “And don't even think about arguing.” Dean picked up the bottle of wine that sat in the middle of the table and refilled Becky's glass and handed it to her. She took it and smiled, “You boys are too good to me.”

Dean washed and dried the dishes while Castiel put away the food, and in no time the kitchen was spotless and the refrigerator was filled to the brim with Tupperware bowls loaded down with leftovers.

Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean's waist after he finished wiping down the bar. “You ready to go watch giant cartoon floats and musical performances?”

Dean smiled a sad smile that Castiel immediately noticed. “What's wrong?”

Dean shook his head, “It's nothing, just brings back memories. I use to watch the parade with Sam every year when we were kids. We would argue over the best floats and performances. I just-”

“You miss him,” Cas said finishing Dean’s sentence.

Dean relaxed against Castiel. “Yeah, I do. But being here with you and your family has meant a lot to me. Thank you for inviting me.”

Cas kissed the side of Dean’s throat. “I'm really glad you came.”

They joined Becky and Chuck in the living room. They watched the parade pointing out their favorite floats and who had the best performances. A little over an hour into it Castiel excused himself, he came back a few minutes later with a whole pumpkin pie covered with whipped cream.

Dean raised an eyebrow when he sat back down beside him. “You’re really going to eat that _whole_ pie?”

Becky sniggered, “He sure is, he has every year since he was twelve.”

Castiel smirked and cut off a huge bite stuffing it into his mouth. Castiel was halfway through his pie when Dean bumped his shoulder against Cas’. “Hey gimme a bite.”

Cas furrowed his brows and looked down at his pie. “There's another one in the kitch-”

“Castiel James Novak,” his mother chided. “You give your boyfriend a bite of that pumpkin pie. I know we taught you how to share.”

Castiel blushed as he cut a piece for Dean and fed it to him. He watched Dean’s plump lips close around the fork and slide off of it. He watched Dean lick his lips cleaning away the whipped cream. _Maybe sharing isn't so bad_ , he concluded as he fed Dean another bite.

They spent all day with his parents, talking and watching TV shows and movies. Around seven they heated up leftovers for dinner, because as Dean had said, _‘there's no reason to cook when you have all that good food in the fridge_.’ But along around nine o'clock it was time to say their goodbyes.

Becky loaded them down with leftovers and two whole pies, insisting that they take it because it would just go to waste there. As she walked them to the door, she pulled Castiel into a hug and kissed him on the cheek after he had slipped his trench coat on. Then she hugged Dean, “You promise me you’ll come back? We have really enjoyed your company, Dean.”

Dean smiled and hugged back, “I promise.”

She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. “How about Christmas? Do you have plans?”

Dean looked down and shook his head. “My brother is going to be busy over Christmas, so, no, I don't have any plans.”

Becky reached for his hands squeezing them gently. "Well, you do now, and I won't take no for an answer.” She looked up at him with shining eyes, “ I expect you and Castiel to come up the day before Christmas Eve and stay until the day after Christmas.”

Dean pulled her into another hug, “Thank you, I’ll see you then.”

Becky stood in the doorway as Dean and Cas walked to the Impala. “You boys be safe,” She called out.

“We will,” Castiel and Dean called back in unison.

Once they were on the road back to Lawrence Dean reached over and took hold of Castiel’s hand. “That was the best Thanksgiving I have had in a very long time Cas.” 

He gave Dean's hand a small squeeze and smiled sincerely at him. “It was for me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the links to my artists pages! There are Character cards for Chuck and Becky on ZephyrChrysalis' page.
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23324254)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya next Thursday! :)


	11. O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl & Thunderpuffin429 for betaing and ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter.
> 
> Big thanks to lotrspnfangirl & ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics for this chapter
> 
> Also a faithful reader of mine, Darmys, made the comment in the last chapter that I need to put together a Crossroads Cookbook at the end of this fic. So, Darmys, I have a recipe in the endnotes for you! 
> 
> Not to mention links to my artist's pages are in the end notes as well. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made and give them thanks! :)
> 
>    
> Happy Reading Guys!!

As soon as November gave way to December, Castiel was ready to decorate for Christmas. On the very first night of the new month Cas tried sweet talking Dean into helping him put up his tree. Dean laughed and said _‘Cas, Babe, it's too early to decorate’_ and held to that statement for three days before finally giving in and agreeing that they would decorate both apartments on the following Saturday. Castiel was ninety-nine percent positive that it had to do with the blow job he’d given Dean, but he was in no way complaining because one, that night had been _really_ enjoyable and two, he was getting his way.

Castiel sat on his couch watching the clock. It was almost twelve, and Dean had told him at dinner the night before that he would come over at noon and they would go shopping for decorations and a tree for Dean since he had told Cas he left his tree and all the decorations in California for Sam. So he needed new, well, everything. 

The day before their planned shopping trip, Castiel took his Christmas boxes out of storage and realized he needed a few new things as well. Several strands of his tree lights no longer worked. He also wanted more ornaments, and his wreath had somehow been crushed in storage.

Castiel jumped up off the couch as the doorbell rang rang through the apartment. He flung open the door with a huge grin on his face. Dean laughed at the enthusiastic gleam in his boyfriend’s eyes. He pulled Castiel in for a kiss. “Hey, you ready to go?”

He nodded and grabbed his trench coat. “I've been ready for hours!” He replied as he slipped on his coat patting his pocket to make sure he had his wallet and keys before he shut and locked the door behind him.

Smirking at him Dean took his hand. “You’ve been watching the clock, haven't you?”

“No,” Cas scoffed. 

Dean arched an eyebrow.

“Shut up,” Castiel bumped his shoulder against his. “You know I've been excited all week about decorating!” 

Dean snorted and kissed Castiel on top his head. “You're adorable.”

Four hours, three different stores, and one tree lot later -- because Dean wanted a real tree, not one of those fake plastic monstrosities -- Dean and Cas’ entered the elevator to their apartments arms laden with bags of Christmas decorations. Castiel placed his bags in his apartment while Dean took his into his and quickly set up the tree stand before they went back down to the car to retrieve Dean’s Christmas tree.

Dean walked around the car looking at the very large Douglas fir strapped down on top of Baby, on a tarp of course, and to Castiel it looked like he was trying to come up with a plan of attack. 

“Okay,” Dean said breaking the silence and slightly startling Cas. “We’re going to need to stand it up and walk it to the elevator, then to my apartment. Once in the apartment we maneuver it into the living room and over the tree stand where you’ll hold it from the top and I’ll get it around the bottom. Then we’ll lower it and I’ll latch it in place.”

“Is that all,” Castiel deadpanned.

“You shut it,” Dean pointed at him, “no snarking from you. This was all your idea,” he jokingly griped, as if it was Cas’ fault he’d bought the huge tree. Nevermind that Cas had been trying to talk him into one a bit smaller that was just as nice. And right now? In this moment, though Dean would never admit it, he had kinda wished he had gone for the smaller tree. 

Cas stuck his tongue out as they started on their task. With lots of stubbornness, profanity, strange looks from other residents, and colliding into furniture, they managed to get the tree in place and secured.

Dean wrapped his arm around Cas’ waist “It's a beautiful tree.”

“It will be ever more beautiful,” Castiel wiggled out of his grip and started separating the lights and ornaments on Dean’s couch. “When we get it decorated.”

Dean turned on the radio so that they could listen to Christmas music as they worked. The sounds of Elvis singing traditional Christmas songs filled the air as they worked together stringing the bright LED lights. 

“So,” Castiel said as he opened up another box of lights, “You seemed really set on a real tree, any specific reason why?”

“My Mom,” Dean replied, a sad smile spreading across his face. “She always insisted on a _real_ tree. Told Dad none of those fake trees were going into their house, that it just wasn't the same. She called them plastic monstrosities.” His eyes met Cas’ and he gave a small laugh. “Like I told you, I was just four when she passed so I don't really remember any Christmases with her, just what Dad told me and Sammy when he was drunk and feeling sentimental.” 

“Oh, wow,” Cas reached out for him, but Dean waved him off. 

“No. Don’t feel sorry for me, I hate that. I hate pity.”

“It’s not pity,” Cas protested, “but it's good to know you don’t like it, that’s part of getting to know a person. We are in a new relationship so we need to learn these things, I need to know those kinds of things about you, just like you need to learn things about me. It’s just,” he sighed, “Christmas was always so fun for me. I’m sorry you missed that.”

Dean gave him a nod, “Well, yeah, me too. But, actually, I’m more sorry that Sammy missed out on it.” He let out a small sigh, “So, anyway, after she passed Christmas… well, we really didn't do much for Christmas, I can count on one hand the number of times we put up a tree. And each of them were some cheap ass trees Dad bought from God knows where.” He shook his head as he twisted the lights in his hands. “He didn't even buy lights.” 

They continued to decorate, hanging each bauble with calculative and methodical care until the entire tree was covered in glittery ornaments of all shapes and sizes that sparkled in the glow of the lights. 

Cas stopped and watched as Dean carefully chose the next branch for the ornament in his hand. “You seem to have a real method for this.”

“Well, when Bobby Singer teaches you the right and proper way to do a tree, boy,” Dean grinned over his shoulder, “you best listen.” He stood up with a huge grin. “Bobby, when Sammy and I went to live with him, he made Christmas a big deal.”

“That was when you were sixteen right? After your Dad passed?”

“Yeah, he took us in, and showed me what family was, and, hell, gave Sammy the first real indication of what a family should be like.” He hung a few more ornaments and handed off some to Cas, “It’s not going to decorate itself.” Dean said steering the conversation away from the current topic.

They stepped back to admire their work. “I’m glad you agreed to do this with me,” Cas rested his head on Dean’s shoulder, “It _really_ is a beautiful tree. I think your mom would have loved it.”

He smiled at Cas’, “You really think so?”

Castiel nodded, “I know so.”

“So,” Castiel wrapped his arm around Dean’s waist, “What did you get to go on top?”

Smiling Dean stepped back and reached into the bag pulling out a male angel, with dark hair and blue eyes dressed in silver robes with large ivory wings. “I got an angel, to remind me of my angel, _my Angel of Thursday_.

Looking into Dean’s eyes, Castiel grinned. “How do know the meaning of my name?”

“I may have looked it up.” He moved forward and placed the angel on top the tree. Stepping back he wrapped Castiel up in his arms, “Now it's perfect.”

Castiel noticed one bag left on the couch, “Hey, what's that?” he motioned towards the couch.

Smiling again, Dean led Cas over to the couch. He sat down and pulled Castiel with him. He reached into the plastic bag and pulled out a sprig of mistletoe.

Cas stared at the mistletoe in Dean’s hand, it had three waxy oval shaped green glossy leaves and a cluster of white berries in the center. Dean smirked and held it over their heads and scooted closer to Cas before lunging forward for a kiss.

Dean chuckled against Cas’ lips as he caught him off guard. His boyfriend quickly got with the program though, returning the kiss with fervor as he pressed up against him. 

Castiel ran his fingers through Dean’s hair letting them rest on the nape of his neck, scratching it gently drawing a moan from him. Dean shivered under Cas’ ministrations as he parted his lips to let Cas’ tongue in.

Gripping the hem of Dean’s shirt Castiel slipped his hand under it and ran them up his boyfriend’s toned back. Dean moaned as Cas ran his nails over his skin leaving an enticing sting in their wake. 

Dean reached over and pulled Castiel's shirt up and off with one hand and a little help from Cas, his other still gripped the mistletoe above their heads. Castiel straddled his boyfriend and breathlessly laughed as he saw that Dean was still clutching the sprig over their heads. “You can put the mistletoe down now. You have me and you can do _anything_ you want to me,” he punctuated his offer with a sinful roll of his hips driving his hard cock against Dean’s.

Groaning Dean dropped the mistletoe to the floor. He sat up slightly and pulled his shirt up and over his head dropping it to the floor joining Cas’ shirt and the mistletoe. He leaned forward and planted kisses along Castiel's chest before taking one of his hard nipples into his mouth sucking and nibbling on the pebbled flesh. 

Castiel keened and gripped Dean’s hair as he rocked slowly in his lap. He drew in a sharp breath when he felt Cas’ hand cup his hard cock rubbing it through the denim. Castiel hummed in approval as Dean’s hands moved down to his pants unbuttoning and unzipping them. He shimmied out of his pants and boxers before divesting Dean of his. Cas reached into the side table drawer pulling out the bottle of lube they had stashed there for such occasions before he maneuvered them down on the couch and pressed the bottle into his hand.

Straddling Dean again, swaying gently in his lover's lap, his head falling back and he groaned as their cocks slid together in a slow torturous drag. 

“Cas,” Dean moaned as he opened the bottle of lube and slicked up his fingers. Castiel leaned forward and started laving at his neck. Kissing, sucking, and biting his collarbone as Dean ran his lube slicked fingers down Cas’ spine and in between his ass cheeks. His eyes fluttered shut as Dean’s finger pressed against the puckered flesh and slipped in.

Cas keened and rocked back onto his finger, rolling his hips. Dean worked in a second one shortly after. He spread his fingers stretching Cas as he gyrated taking them deeper trying to find that electric spot within himself. With a third finger added and a roll of the hips he found it. He let out a erotic moan and rode Dean’s fingers in earnest. “Oh, Dean, oh, God, that feels so good. I want you, Baby, I want your cock.”

Dean slipped his fingers free from Cas and reached for the lube drizzling some on his hand before gripping his cock and thrusting up into his tight fist a few times slicking himself up. He gripped the base of his cock as Castiel positioned himself. He pushed the head of his cock against Cas’ rim letting it catch on the tight ring of muscle. Castiel pushed down, the head popping in, he slowly and teasingly sunk down until Dean was fully sheathed inside him.

“Oh, fuck, oh, Cas,” Dean gasped as Castiel ground his hips dirtily. 

Cas placed his hands on Dean’s chest supporting his weight as he started to move up and down on Dean’s thick cock. His pace was languid at first, relishing in the feel of Dean buried deep inside him. Castiel quickened the pace at the first brush of Dean’s cock against his sweet spot. He bounced up and down harder, erratic and wild on Dean’s cock. “Oh, yes, fuck, fuck, yes, Dean!” Cas cried out as he dug his fingernails into Dean’s chest. “Touch me, touch me.”

Dean enclosed his hand around Cas’ hot hard cock and stroked it madingley with his slick hand. “Come on, Baby, that's it, Sweetheart, let go for me.”

Castiel threw his head back and called out, “Dean!” His cock throbbing and pulsing in Dean’s hand painting his chest and abdomen in strings of hot sticky come. Cas was panting, mouth opened, and eyes screwed shut as he rode out his high. 

His body spasming and clenching around Dean’s cock “Fuck,” Dean groaned as he gripped Cas’ hips, pushed in burying himself to the hilt and spilled hot and thick inside Castiel.

Cas slumped boneless against Dean, laying completely on top of him smearing the mess between them. They lay like that until Dean’s cock slipped free and the come began to itch and dry on their skin. 

“Okay, Sweetheart,” Dean ran his hand down Cas’ back. “Let's clean up and get dressed, then we can go setup and decorate your plastic abomination,” he teased.

Castiel balked as he stood up. “Don't be talking about my tree like that, it's _awesome_.”

Walking to the bathroom side by side, Dean hummed. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

“My turn to pick the music,” Cas said as they entered his apartment. He walked over to his stereo system and put in his favorite Christmas CD, David Bowie and Bing Crosby's _Little Drummer Boy_ rang out.

Dean smiled, “I love this song.”

“Me too,” Cas hummed and nodded. “I made this CD a few years back it's got all my favorite Christmas songs on it. They remind me of being a kid and decorating the tree with Mom.”

“I can't wait to hear them,” Dean murmured sincerely as he watched Castiel empty boxes filled with decorations. Then slid the tree from its box and had it set up in its stand in under ten minutes.

“What kind of tree,” Dean quirked a brow, “comes in one piece?”

Castiel smiled up at him and waggles his brows. “A fiber optic with multi colored LED tips.” He stood up and started to shape the branches. “But I still put lights on it.” He smirked over his shoulder at Dean, “You can't have too many lights. At least that's what Dad has always told me.” 

“Dad long prided himself on his decorating skills.” Castiel chuckled as shook his head, “I remember being a teenager and helping him decorate the outside of the house.” He snorted, “Our house always looked like the _Griswolds from Christmas Vacation_.”

“Oh, man,” Dean let out a loud bark of laughter, “I would love to have seen that.”

“You will!” Castiel gave him a huge grin, “You did promise Mom you would come back for Christmas.”

“I did, didn't I?” Dean ignored the dull ache in his chest as he plastered on a fake smile. “Alright! Let's get this baby decorated!”

They started with the lights evenly distributing them from base to tip and expertly weaving them through the branches. The multi-colored lights faded in and out at the same pace as the fiber optic ones. Next they worked on the decorations covering the tree in tinsel, ribbons, sparkling baubles and topped it off with a silver star. When they were done Dean had to admit that, for a plastic monstrosity, it looked pretty damn good.

They were sitting on the couch listening to Cas’ Christmas CD. When Bon Jovi’s ‘Please Come Home for Christmas’ came on. Dean found himself singing along. He looked over and found Castiel smiling at him. “You have a beautiful voice.”

Dean ran his hand across the back of his neck. “I don't know about that.”

“Well I do,” Cas whispered against Dean’s lips. “Sing some more for me.”

Dean smirked as he stood up, pulling Cas up with him. They began to sway with the music. He laid his head on Castiel's shoulder, and sang softly into his ear.

” _This is Christmas, Christmas my dear. The time of year to be with the one that you love. Then won't you tell me You'll never more roam Christmas and New Year Will find you at home There'll be no more sorrow, no grief or pain. I'll be happy that it's Christmas once again_.”

The music faded and the CD ended but Castiel just pulled Dean even closer as they continued to sway. “Today was wonderful Dean, thank you.”

“Every day with you is wonderful,” Dean whispered into Cas’ ear. As soon as those words left Dean’s mouth his heart started to race because even though this was a job, a part he had to play, he knew deep down that he meant those words. And God did that terrify him, but as long as he didn't say or think _those three little words_ everything would be all right, _right_?

The following Saturday Dean was stirring chili in the crockpot while Castiel looked for a Christmas movie for them to watch. Cas had made ‘Santa's Popcorn’ for later that night. It was one of his Christmas specialties, salty popcorn covered in melted marshmallows with a mixture of red and green M&M’s and pretzel M&M's. It was _addictive_ and had quickly become Dean's favorite snack. He had already asked Cas to make it three times over the past week. 

“Chili’s done!” 

“Thank God!” Cas quickly joined him in the kitchen. “I'm starving. Smelling it cooking the past few hours has been absolute torture.”

Dean laughed as he ladled out a bowl and handed it to him. “I have sliced cheddar and crackers on the table.” Dean dished himself out a bowl and followed Cas to the table. “Did you find us anything to watch?”

“I found a few,” Castiel shrugged as he crushed up some crackers into his chili. “ _Christmas with the Kranks_ , _Scrooged_ , _The Ref_ , and _National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation_.”

Dean found himself smiling at the last suggestion remembering the story Cas had told him about his dad when they had been decorating his tree. He nodded as he chewed up his chili. “Let's watch that.”

“Which one?” Castiel queried.

Dean smirked, “All of them.” He dragged his spoon through his chili. “It's Saturday, Cas, let's watch em’ all. And uh, you could stay the night. You know, if you want.”

Castiel grinned widely. “I like that plan.”

“Me too.” Dean’s smile was just as wide.

“So,” Cas started as he crushed up some more crackers to put into his chili. “I know you love the Santa’s popcorn.” He shot Dean a sly smirk, “And you said once you moved in with Bobby he made Christmas a big deal. Did you guys have any traditions or favorite holiday recipes?”

“M’yeah,” Dean mumbled around a mouthful before reaching for his napkin and wiping his mouth. “Umm, like I told you we didn't have Christmases growing up, but yeah, Bobby made a big deal of Christmas. Our very first one with him he bought a big tree, hundreds of lights and ornaments.” Dean smiled at the memory, “He even made me and Sammy hot cocoa while we decorated it.” 

Castiel smiled back, “Nothing like hot chocolate and tree decorating to get into the holiday spirit.”

“The look on Sammy’s face was priceless. I was so glad he was getting to, finally, see what a _real_ Christmas was like. It was just kinda sad it had taken twelve years.” Dean took a sip of his coke and cleared his throat. “But the best part was how we all gathered around after and just watched the lights. Me and Sam got our sleeping bags and slept on the floor by the tree.” Dean let out a small laugh, “Bobby even stayed out there with us, opting to sleep on the couch though, cause he was to old to sleep on the damn floor.” He met Cas’ stare, “Every year after that, the first night we put the tree up, we all slept out there around it.”

Castiel's eyes softened, “That's a wonderful tradition.”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded, “it really was.” He shifted in his seat, “As for favorite holiday recipes, Bobby made these cookies, Zuckersternchen-”

“Gesundheit.” 

Dean's brows furrowed, “No Cas, I didn't sneeze-” he stopped his explanation when he saw the playful gleam in Castiel's eyes. “You ass, you know what those are don't you?”

Cas smiled, “German Sugar cookies, correct?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded. “And they are so good. I haven't had them in years.” Dean picked up a slice of cheese, “Now you, how was Christmas at the Novak house?” 

Dean laughed and smiled the whole time Cas’ regaled him with stories of his past Christmases. Afterwards they made quick work of cleaning up so they could hit the couch and cuddle up for the main event of the night… Christmas movies. “So,” Dean glanced over at Cas, “Which one first?”

“How about,” Cas furrowed his brows and hummed in contemplation. “ _Christmas with the Kranks_?”

Dean picked up the remote and smiled at Cas as he scrolled through Netflix until he found it. “Good choice,” he replied as he pressed play. “I love this movie.” 

“Yeah me too,” Dean opened up his arms and Cas cuddled up against his side. “I even have the book, _Skipping Christmas_.”

Dean looked down at Cas, “I didn't know it was a book.”

“Not many people do,” Castiel smirked. “I'm just a huge fan of John Grisham though.”

Dean kissed Cas on the forehead, “I may have to borrow that.”

“I’ll find it for you.” Cas laid his head on Dean’s shoulder as the movie started. 

As their first movie ended, Castiel disentangled himself and got up to get something to drink before they started the next movie. “Hey, Cas,” Dean called after him, “grab that popcorn while you're in there.” 

Castiel came back into the living room a few minutes later with two Coke’s, and a huge bowl of his homemade ‘Santa’s popcorn’. Dean’s eyes widened at the size of the bowl. Cas just shrugged and plopped down. “I made a double batch since you seem to like it so much.” 

Dean made grabby hands at the bowl and Castiel pulled back, “No way,” he said as he moved closer, the bowl still in his hands. “Last time I gave you the bowl, I didn't get any.”

“That's not true,” Dean huffed.

“I got one bite,” Cas held his finger up in Dean’s face. “One. Bite.”

“See not true.” Dean smirked, “you did get some.”

Cas snorted and placed the bowl between his legs where Dean could reach it. Dean grabbed a big handful and stuffed it into his mouth. “God this stuff is awesome,” he mumbled around the sweet treat. He swallowed and wiped his hand on a napkin before picking up the remote. “You ready to watch _Scrooged_?”

He grabbed himself a handful of popcorn and passed the bowl to Dean who accepted it with a huge smile. Cas ate the handful of popcorn before grabbing the throw off the back of the couch and covering himself up. He laid his head back on Dean’s shoulder and went back and forth from watching the movie to watching Dean devouring the popcorn.

When _Scrooged_ went off Dean stretched out on the couch and positioned Cas between his legs. “This is fun,” Cas whispered.

Dean hummed and carded his fingers through Cas’ hair. “Yeah, I'm glad you agreed to stay.”

“How could I pass up a chance to sleep with you?” Castiel huffed a small laugh. “Those are the best night's sleep I get.” 

“I sleep better when you're with me too, Cas.” Dean continued running his fingers through Castiel's untamed locks. “I like waking wrapped up in each other's arms.”

Castiel looked up at him. “Really?”

“Yeah really,” Dean nodded, “there's no better way to wake up than with you in my arms.”

“Maybe,” Castiel smirked, “we should start having sleep overs every weekend.”

“Every Friday _and_ Saturday?” Dean ran his thumb across Castiel's plump bottom lip. “Because I don't think one day is enough.”

“I agree one day is definitely not enough.” Castiel nibbled on Dean thumb. “Friday and Saturday sounds good to me.”

“Good,” Dean smiled, “I'm holding you to it. Friday and Saturday you're mine.”

“Hold me to it,” Castiel smiled back. “I will be yours anytime you want me Dean.”

“That's a dangerous thing to say to me Cas.” Dean sighed and placed his hand on Cas’ cheek. “What would you do if I decided I wanted you every day?”

Castiel leaned into the touch and whispered against Dean’s palm, “I think you already know the answer to that.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Dean’s palm. “Let's watch _The Ref_.”

“Okay, Sweetheart,” Dean replied as he pressed play.

After _The Ref_ went off Castiel sat up groaning when his back popped. Dean wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his chin on Cas’ shoulder. “You ready for bed, Sweetheart? We can watch _Christmas Vacation_ next movie night.”

“Yes,” Cas nodded and relaxed against Dean. “I'm sleepy. What about you?”

Dean hummed in agreement. “Yeah, I was dozing off the last twenty minutes or so of the movie.”

“Come on then,” Castiel stood up and reached down helping Dean get up.” Let's get some sleep.”

They stripped down to their boxers, took turns in the bathroom, and crawled into bed. Dean molded himself against Cas’ back. “I like when you hold me,” Cas whispered to the dark room.

“I like it too, Sweetheart, I like it a lot,” Dean whispered back. Castiel tilted his head back and Dean kissed him goodnight. Dean’s last coherent thought before drifting off was _God, the feel of Cas in my arms, it feels so good, it feels so… **right**_.”

They spent most of the Sunday morning after their movie night in bed worshipping each other's bodies. That was until Cas’ stomach growled reminding them that ‘man can't live off sex alone.’

Dean kissed the top of Castiel's sweaty bed head. “Hungry, Sweetheart?”

“Famished,” Cas replied as he scraped his teeth across Dean’s nipple.

“God,” Dean drew in a sharp breath and groaned. “As much as I would love to ravage your body again. We need to shower and eat before we starve to death.”

“That's a bit dramatic isn't it,” Castiel snorted as he got out of bed. 

“Nope,” Dean shook his head as he stood up. “Not at all.” He pulled Cas into his arms and ran his hands down the planes of his back and gripped the firm swell of his ass. “Wouldn't be such a bad way to go, now would it?”

Castiel ran his tongue up Dean’s throat tasting the salt of his skin. “I could definitely think of worse,” he whispered as his mind provided him with the image of spending an eternity soulless in hell and working for Crowley as a Crossroads Demon. Castiel hadn't even realized he’d zoned out and was shaking until he felt Dean's hand rubbing up and down his arms.

“Hey,” Dean said a hint of worry evident in the tone of his voice. “You okay? You’re shaking and you spaced out on me for a second.”

“Yeah,” Cas nodded and cleared his throat hoping that his voice wouldn't quiver when he spoke, “of course I'm fine, I was just thinking, and I'm cold.” He smirked at Dean as he pushed all those wicked images from his mind and focused on what he had in front of him, _Dean_. “You could always,” his eyes glinted with challenge, “warm me up in the shower.”

Dean laughed and took Castiel's hand, “Come on, Casanova, let's get your blood flowing and heat you up.”

A couple blow jobs and an hour later found them sitting by the corner window in Bourbon’s Bistro waiting for their order to be taken. They watched the crowds of people outside kicking up the freshly fallen powdery snow as they went from one store to the next, arms filled with bags, most likely, Christmas present for their loved ones.

Dean was looking down at the menu as Castiel continued to people watch. “Do you want to get an appetizer?” Dean asked as he glanced over the selections. He waved his hand in front of Cas’ face. “Ground control to Major Tom.”

“Huh?” Castiel shook his head and looked over at him, “I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention.”

“Clearly. I asked,” a small smile played on Dean’s lips, “if you wanted to split an appetizer.”

Castiel opened his menu and let his eyes scan over the page. “This one sounds good,” he pointed to one of the options.

“Which one,” Dean asked as he glanced over to the menu Cas had turned around, his finger still pointing out his selection. “The Spanakopita triangles?” 

Castiel nodded, “They sound really good, actually. Spinach, feta cheese, and diced onion in a flaky crust.”

“Those do sound really good.” Dean let his fingers skim over Cas’ before folding his hands on the table. “Let's get an order.” 

Once the waiter took their drink and appetizer order, Dean turned the page and started looking at the lunch section. After a few minutes of silence he asked, “Do you know what you're getting?”

“Yeah, I think I have made my mind up.” Castiel took a sip of his Coke and looked back at the menu. “The airline chicken breast sounds like something I would like. It's a chicken breast pan seared in bourbon and topped with maple bacon, braised kale and crispy sage.It comes with a side of honey bourbon glazed sweet potatoes.” Castiel shut his menu, “What about you? What are you going to have?”

“I want to try the Frenched Chops.” He squinted down at the description, “says here, it’s a seasoned breaded prosciutto wrapped pork chop with yukon mashed potatoes topped with shredded cheddar cheese and string green beans with a garlic rye bourbon demi-glace.” Dean shut his menu, “Don't think you could go wrong with something that sounds as delicious as that.” He looked up at Cas. “That sounds good doesn't it?”

Castiel nodded, “It sounds very good, I may steal a bite from you.”

Dean smirked, “Only if you give me a bite of yours.” 

They both enjoyed their lunch, trading bites of their food until their plates were clean. When the waiter asked about desert Dean ordered two boxes of their famous bourbon balls before asking for the check.

Castiel arched an eyebrow, “Two boxes, you got a cravin’ Dean?”

“For your information,” Dean rolled his eyes playfully, “they are Christmas presents for your Mom and Dad.”

“Oh,” Castiel smiled, “They will love those.”

The waiter returned a few minutes later with the check and two rectangular black boxes with a gold ribbon wrapped around it. _Woodford Reserve Bourbon Balls_ was scrawled across the top in silver fancy script. Dean placed a tip on the table and paid the bill, before they put on their coats. He held the boxes of candy in one hand and took Cas’ with the other leading him out of the bistro.

Once on the sidewalk Dean turned to Cas, “What do you want to do now?”

Castiel squeezed Dean’s hand and pulled him towards the park. “Let's walk the trail.”

“Cas,” Dean laughed, “it's snowing.”

“It's flurrying,” Castiel smirked over his shoulder at Dean. “It's not like a white out. Don't be a baby.”

“You gonna keep me warm if I get cold, Sweetheart?” Dean asked flirtily. 

“Oh yeah,” Castiel gave Dean a peck on the lips, “I promise.”

Snow fell languidly from the sky, dusting the already coated ground. A large black sleigh with two large black horses immediately caught Castiel attention. He pulled on Dean's hand. “Look a sleigh ride.”

“You know,” Dean smiled at his boyfriend, “I’ve never been on one.”

“Me either,” Castiel replied as he watched the large obsidian horses nicker and paw at the freshly fallen snow. The inky stallions surrounded by glittery white snow looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.

Dean gripped Cas’ hand and walked towards the carriage when an older grey haired man running his hand along one of the horses muzzles looked up at them.

The man grinned as they approached. His eyes glanced at their held hands but his smile never faltered. “Would you, gentlemen, like a sleigh ride? Twenty will take you around the park twice.”

Dean reached into his pocket pulled out his wallet and gave the man a crisp twenty dollar bill. The coachman smiled at them. “My name’s Brian. You boys climb on into the sleigh, there's a large blanket on the seat you can wrap up it.”

They hoisted themselves up into the sleigh as Brian situated himself in the box seat and grabbed the horse's reins. Gently snapping them moved the horses to action, the sleigh bells jingling loudly as they started to trot.

Dean opened the blanket and tucked it around them as Castiel moved closer and snuggled against him. Snow swirled up around them on either side of the trail as the horses kicked it up. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the people milling around the park. The children playing in the snow, the parents smiling and watching. They stole kisses and small touches as the sleigh trekked on.

The snow was falling more hurriedly now, covering the blanket and their hair, or beanie in Dean’s case, with powdery flakes. Castiel watched as the snow danced through the air around them, as the wind picked up. He was hit with an old memory and did something he hadn't done since he was a child. He shut his eyes, tilted his head back, and opened his mouth, catching snowflakes on his tongue. Dean let out a bark of laughter and did the same, letting the snowflakes melt in his mouth. He looked at Castiel, his bright green eyes twinkling with mirth. 

Dean pulled out his phone and held it out in front of them. "Say cheese, Cas." Dean grinned as he snapped a picture. He looked down at the picture of the two of them smiling and so, so, _happy_. He shook his head as he pocketed his phone. He wrapped his arm back around Cas’ waist, a small smile graced his lips as he placed his head on Castiel's shoulder and began to sing softly in his ear.

” _Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we, We're snuggled up together like two birds of a feather would be. Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two Come on it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you_.”

“You are such a dork,” Castiel said affectionately. “But I _really_ like you, Dean Winchester.” He started to hum along as Dean continued to sing for the rest of the ride.

When they made it to the park gates Dean stopped Castiel. “Hey, Cas, I forgot something. Wait here for a sec, okay?” 

Castiel nodded as Dean took off running back towards the sleigh.

A few minutes later he returned with a smile on his face and took Castiel’s hand opening it and turning it palm up. He placed something in it and curled it closed again.

Cas looked at Dean curiously as he opened his hand a small silver sleigh bell lay on his palm. He looked up and saw Dean holding a matching one. Castiel shook the bell and listened as it jingled. “How did you get them?” He asked as he twisted the bell in his gloved fingers.

“I told the owner that it was our very first sleigh ride,” Dean explained, “and that we wanted something to remember it, so he gave me these.”. 

Castiel hummed, “I'm hanging mine on my tree.”

Dean smirked at him, “I'm putting mine on a leather cord and tying it around your neck so you can't sneak up and scare the shit out of me again.” 

Cas laughed as Dean wrapped his arm around his waist and led him back to the Impala.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Darmys :)
> 
> SANTA’S POPCORN 
> 
> You will need:
> 
> 10 cups of Popcorn  
>  Salt  
>  3 tablespoons of Butter  
>  3 cups Mini Marshmallows  
>  Mini M&M Candies – Red and Green  
>  Pretzel M&M Candies – Red and Green  
>  Christmas Confetti Sprinkles
> 
> Directions:
> 
> Start with approximately 10 cups of popcorn. Make sure you get out all of the un-popped kernels. You don’t want to bite down on one of those! We pop our popcorn on the stove (you can find our directions on How to Make Perfect Popcorn here) but you can use air-popped or microwave. Once you have the popcorn made, salt it liberally. It is so nice to taste the salty with the sweet marshmallow coating. Not quite like Kettle Corn but close.
> 
> To make the Marshmallow Mixture for the Santa Crunch Popcorn, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan. Once the butter is melted, add 3 cups of mini marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are melted. Turn off the heat as soon as the last marshmallow has melted.
> 
> Spread your popcorn out on a prepared cookie sheet. We used a silpat liner but you could also cover it in aluminium foil or parchment paper. Make sure you get out all of the un-popped kernels. You don’t want to bite down on one of those! Pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn and then gently fold the popcorn with a spoon until most of the kernels are covered in mixture.
> 
> Once the popcorn is covered in marshmallow mixture it is time to add the candy. But don’t wait too long. You want the marshmallow mixture to still be warm and sticky. Sprinkle the candy onto the popcorn, concentrating on the areas with the most drizzled marshmallow mixture. We added red and green classic Mini M&M’s and red and green Pretzel M&M’s. We also threw in a small handful of mini marshmallows and some Christmas Sprinkles. Allow the popcorn to cool. Break apart into pieces and serve. This popcorn doesn’t keep very well so we suggest that you make it as close to the time you’re going to serve it as possible.
> 
> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23489718)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya next Thursday! :)


	12. 'Tis the Season for Shopping, Shopping, Shopping and a Little Giving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to give my readers a head up and let you guys know due to certain circumstances I will not be posting next Thursday. But I promise posting will resume the Following Thursday May 4th. Sorry guys, but I have life stuff going on.
> 
> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl & Thunderpuffin429 for betaing and ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter.
> 
> Big thanks to lotrspnfangirl & ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics for this chapter
> 
> Also links to my artist's pages are in the end notes as well. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made and give them thanks! :)
> 
> Happy Reading!

“Caaassss! please don't make me do it, don't make me go.” Dean whined as he followed Castiel out of the bathroom where they had just gotten out of the shower.

Castiel snorted at his boyfriend as he pulled up his jeans. “You sound like I'm sending you off to war.”

“You are making me go to a shopping mall. _In December_!” Dean crossed his arms over his chest. “A _week_ before Christmas! War would be less messy.”

“It's your fault we’re going so last minute,” Castiel stated as he slipped on a grey sweater that he had borrowed from Dean. “I have literally been trying to get you to go for _weeks_ and you always put it off.”

Dean smirked and wrapped his arms around Cas’ waist. “You look good in my clothes,” he growled by Castiel's ear.

“Oh, no, you don't.” Cas spun around in his boyfriend's arms, pushing him back gently. “Do not even think about changing the subject, or trying to distract me with sex.”

Dean groaned and dropped his head on Cas’ shoulder. “Why couldn't you just do what I did and shop online? It's so much easier!” He grinned flirtily, “All the cool kids are doing it.” 

Castiel kissed Dean on the nose in response. “Hey, I did do some shopping online, that's how I got your present, but where's the fun in that for everything? I like going to the mall. It’s exciting, seeing everyone running around, the kids in line for Santa, the smell of popcorn.” 

“You are a freak of nature,” Dean teased. “Can't we just go this weekend?” he begged.

Castiel shook his head. “You know we can't. Saturday we’re going to my faculty Christmas party and Sunday you promised we could get hot cocoa and take a ride around town to look at the Christmas lights.”

“You owe me for this.” Dean pointed his finger at Cas. “I'm talking _multiple_ orgasms.”

Castiel didn't miss a beat and slid down to his knees removing the towel wrapped around Dean’s waist. He reached up and took Dean’s cock in his hand, tugging it gently, feeling it harden almost immediately. “How about I start now?” Cas slipped Dean's cock into his mouth. 

“Fuck,” Dean groaned and gripped Cas’ hair. “You _really_ play dirty when you want something.”

After Dean recovered from his mind blowing orgasm he got dressed, grabbed his boots and sat down on the couch to put them on. 

“Hey, Dean?” 

He looked up and saw Cas standing by the door. “I'm going to run over to my apartment real quick. Trade out my converses for boots since they have better tread.”

“Sounds good.” Dean nodded, “I’ll meet you over there in a minute.”

Castiel shut the door and Dean bent down to tie his boots. 

“Hello, Darling,” 

Dean groaned internally. He hadn't even heard the TV click on. He finished tying his boot and straightened up. “Hello, Crowley.”

“You don't look happy to see me,” Crowley frowned, “It breaks my heart… well it would,” he grinned, “if I had one.”

Dean flashed his teeth in a dazzling smile. “Of course, I'm happy to see you, my King.”

Crowley shook the tumbler of scotch he held in his hand the liquid swirling like a hurricane in the glass. “How are things, Dean?” 

Dean met Crowley's eyes, “Everything is perfect, Crowley, come March you will be one soul richer.” 

“Good to know you're on track and not planning a wedding for you and dear Castiel,” Crowley teased.

Dean scoffed, “I'd never fuckin’ marry him, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not the settling down type of guy.” Dean's lips curled into a cruel smirk. “But I'm sure poor gullible Castiel is planning it as we speak. You know why?” Dean leaned forward on the couch, raising an eyebrow and meeting Crowley's stare head on. “Because I'm _damn_ good at what I do. That stupid son of a bitch is falling hard and all I had to do was show him a little attention.” He rolled his eyes, “It's pathetic really.” Dean ignored how his heartbeat quickened and ached while his stomach twisted painfully at his own words.

Crowley grinned, his lips thinning and his teeth gleaming. The look both cold and cruel. “Now that's my Dean,” Crowley cooed, “and here I thought you were starting to fall for my prize. I guess I was wrong.”

“No harm, no foul,” Dean shrugged, “I'll take it as a compliment. Playing my part so well, I fooled the King of Hell.”

Crowley took a sip of his scotch, eyes narrowing. “Don't get cocky, now.”

Dean smirked, “Never, Your Majesty.” He stood up and smoothed down his shirt. “I gotta go, I gotta take the _boyfriend_ ,” Dean spat, “to the mall.”

“I should be giving you hazard pay,” Crowley groaned. “That place is worse than Hell this time of year.”

“Tell me about it,” Dean groused.

“Keep up the good work,” Crowley held up his tumbler, “and talk to you soon, Dean.”

As soon as the TV went black Dean doubled over and gulped in deep breaths. He felt sick, saying those things about Cas made him feel sick. _Fuck, get your shit together, Winchester. Don't let Sam down._ Dean stood up and took one last deep breath before walking out the door, trying to shove his nerves and guilt away.

They drove around the mall parking lot for over an hour just looking for a place to park. And when Dean, finally, found a spot, getting a death glare from an old bitty who was going for the same one, he was terrified to leave his Baby. He was just sure when he came back out she would have a scratch or ding on her somewhere. And he was ninety-nine percent sure if that happened it would be the grandma that did it, because if looks could kill when he pulled into that parking spot, he would be back in Hell with Crowley at this very moment. 

Dean took one last look back at Baby before they pushed through the revolving doors, their ears immediately assaulted by the Chipmunks singing Christmas songs. It was blaring loudly throughout the mall for all to hear, whether they wanted to or not. Even though it was still early in the morning the place was already packed tighter than a can of sardines with people doing their last minute Christmas shopping.

Dean pulled Castiel off to the side. “What's the gameplan?”

“Well,” Castiel leaned closer to Dean so he could be heard over the chattering of shoppers and music. “I have to pick up a gift that's already ready for Mom and Dad at _Blue Nile Jewelry_. I want to get mom a gift basket from _Bath and Bodyworks_ preferably Warm Vanilla Sugar, since that's her favorite. Then I want to get them both monogrammed bathrobes. And I need to find something else for Dad.” He looked up at Dean, “What did you get them again?”

Dean took Cas’ hand and maneuvered them over to an empty bench and pulled him down. “I got your Mom and Dad both a box of bourbon balls from that little bistro we went to. I also got your Mom a Kindle Fire and a fifty dollar Kindle Fire gift card so she can buy some of those slutty romance novels she liked so much.” 

Castiel snorted and bumped Dean's shoulder. “What else did you my Dad besides the bourbon balls?”

“I got him a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey Gold Reserve.” Dean slid closer to Cas as someone sat down on the bench beside him. “And a gift basket from Swiss Colony called Santa's 77 favorites. It has a variety of meats, cheeses, nuts, cookies, cakes, crackers, pretty much a little bit of everything.”

Castiel's eyes lit up, “I know what to get Dad. I can get him a whiskey decanter and a set of tumblers to go with the whiskey you got him.”

“All right,” Dean stood up, nodding his head. “We got a game plan! Let's get to it.”

Castiel snickered and saluted, “Yes, Sir.”

Dean pulled Cas in close as they weaved through the throngs of people. “I'm gonna beat your ass raw when we get back to my apartment.”

Castiel wiggled his eyebrows at Dean, “Is that a promise?” Dean tapped his ass to get him to move faster in response.

An hour later and Dean was wondering how the hell had he gotten himself into this? _Oh yeah, the promise of multiple orgasms_. But, at this very moment, he wasn't sure that all the orgasms he could ever want anytime he wanted was worth this. His head was pounding and he was beyond ready to get out of this over-crowded obnoxiously loud building. He glanced over at Cas who was having the last of his purchases - _Thank God!_ \- gift wrapped and he didn't seem to be at all phased by the mob of people pushing and trying to shove past him with overstuffed bags, and for some odd reason that just pissed Dean off even more. 

Castiel grabbed his bags and walked over to Dean with a wide smile. “You ready to go?”

“God, yes,” Dean replied immediately.

“I'm sorry this trip stressed you out so much.” Castiel slipped his hand in the back of Dean’s pocket and leaned in closer to him. “What do you say I give you a blowjob on the drive home and then back at the apartment I ride you until you're screaming my name?”

Dean opened the door for Cas and immediately noticed the look of pure lust and want in his eyes. _Okay maybe going to the mall was worth it_.

Dean looked himself over in the bathroom mirror, running a comb through his hair and styling it before using some gel to keep it in place. He adjusted his green button up and flashed a smile of approval at his reflection, before turning off the lights, locking up, and heading over to pick Cas up for his Faculty Christmas party.

Castiel opened the door and smiled at Dean running his hands down the forest green button up. “You look amazing in green.”

Dean pulled Cas into his arms, nipping his bottom lip. “That red sweater looks pretty God damn mouthwatering on you, Sweetheart.” Dean claimed Cas’ lips kissing him hard and drawing a needy whine from the back of Cas’ throat.

“We uh,” Castiel pulled back breathless, “we better go before I drag you in and tie you to my bed.”

“I could so get on board with that.” Dean sighed, “But we don't have time.”

Castiel bit his bottom lip and pulled Dean into his apartment. “We have time for other things though.”

“Oh, God! Cas,” Dean groaned as Castiel dropped to his knees.

The party was in full swing when Dean and Cas walked into the gymnasium, and only thirty minutes late, thank you very much. A few games had already begun, such as Christmas trivia that covered everything from Christmas facts, movies and songs. There was blindfolded Christmas Tree decorating which was amusing to watch as two people were blindfolded in front of two four foot trees with a box of decorations sitting beside it. The pair had five minutes to decorate their tree and the one that looked the best when time was up would be declared the winner. 

Gabe, Zar, Cain, and Colette were talking animatedly by the punch bowl. Glancing around the room Dean could see men and women eating and talking, some laughing loudly, some deep in conversation. 

Gabe sauntered over seeming a bit tipsy as he wrapped his arms around Dean and Cas’ shoulders. “Cassie! Dean-o! You guys made it.” He gave them a salacious look. “You boys are late, have you been doing the mattress mambo?”

“We are not that late,” Cas hissed. Trying to quiet his friend, because when he drank he did not know how to control his volume. 

Dean flashed Gabriel a mischievous look, “Oh, Gabe, my man,” Dean clapped Gabe on the shoulder, “if we’d been doing that we would have been a hell of a lot later.”

Castiel glared at Dean, “do not encourage him.”

Gabe threw his head back and let out a loud bark of laughter, ignoring Castiel's comment. “I really like you Dean-o.” He looked at Cas, “You keep this one.” Castiel blushed as they walked over to the others.

They each made a plate filled with various goodies, got a drink and joined in the chit-chat with the others. After Dean finished his second drink he placed his hand on Cas’ shoulder. “Hey I gotta go the bathroom, I’ll be back.” Castiel nodded and returned to the conversation he was having with Zar.

Dean used the restroom, washed his hands, and walked out of the bathroom running straight into someone. He reached out and grabbed the person pulling them into him to keep them from falling. Looking down to see who he’d plowed into, he held back a groan when he realized that it was Lisa. Of all the people to almost run over, of course it had to be _her_.

She looked up into Dean’s eyes and ran her nails up his arms. “Fancy running into you out here.”

“Natured called,” Dean let go of her and took a step back. “I was just heading back to the party.”

Lisa reached out and curled her fingers around his bicep, stopping him from leaving. “What's the rush, Handsome.” She giggled.

Dean gently pulled out of her grip and watched as she swayed slightly, “I think you're drunk, Lisa.”

She shook her head and ran her hands up Dean’s chest. “Just the right amount of tipsy to go after something I want.”

“I'm taken,” Dean reminded her and carefully grabbed her wrists and took another step back dropping her hands. “So find something else to want.”

“By Castiel,” she stomped her foot like a moody teenager. “What is it with him? You could do so much better.” She licked her lips and ran her eyes over his figure. “Hell, we could always have a little fun and he would never know.”

“Look, lady,” he growled. “I'm not like that. I like Castiel, I like him a lot. There is _no way_ I could do better than him, hell I don't even deserve him.” Dean gave her a withering gaze that had her backing up. “And why would I want to have a little fun with a skank like you? When I can have _a lot_ of fun with him.” He shoved past her. “Now, if you'll excuse me.”

Dean walked back into the gymnasium, finding his group quickly, and wrapped his arm around Cas’ waist. Lisa came back in moments later scowling at Dean. Castiel looked up at him. “Why is Lisa giving you a murderous glare?” Of course, that the question gained the attention of Zar, Gabe, Cain, and Colette.

“She came onto me in the hallway.” Dean sighed, “and I had to put her in her place.”

“She hit on you _again_ , even though she knows we're dating now. Castiel bristled by his side, “What a -”

Gabe clapped Cas on the shoulder, “Easy there, Tiger.”

Zar leaned against the table. “What did you tell her Dean-o?”

“She asked if I wanted to have a little fun,” Dean ran his hand across the back of his neck and gave the group a sheepish look. “And I told her why would I want to have a little fun with a skank like her when I could have a lot of fun with Cas.” Cain let out a loud bark of laughter and the others joined in.

Castiel and Dean collected their trash and threw it away in the wastebasket by the door. Dean glanced up and gave Castiel a cocky grin, as he motioned above Castiel's head, "Mistletoe."

"Yes.” Castiel smiled, “Good job Dean that is indeed mistletoe," he teased.

Dean leaned in closer, "You know what that means." He whispered hotly into Cas’ ear.

"I do," Cas whispered back.

"So Cas? Where's my k-" Dean didn't even get the word out before Cas wrapped his arms around Dean's neck and assaulted his lips.

“How about you…” Dean trailed off as he looked around to see all the teachers milling about, drinks in hand, chattering and playing games, no one was paying attention to them and Dean suddenly got an idea. “Show me your classroom, Mr. Novak,” he rasped in Cas’ ear.

Cas smirked and pulled Dean out the gym door, not even looking back to see if anyone had spotted them. He led them silently through the darkened hallways, their footsteps echoing off the walls. Dean paused as they passed the teachers lounge admiring the bulletin board with the children's Christmas pictures displayed.

He walked over to the area that held Cas’ student’s art work. “I remember doing this kind of stuff in school.” He ran his hand over the decorative Christmas trees Castiel's students made and looked over his shoulder smiling at Cas, “Sammy used to be so proud when he brought home his holiday art projects. I always made a big deal about how good they were and hung them on the fridge.”

Castiel moved to his side. “You were a good big brother.”

“I tried to be,” Dean shrugged and let out a low sigh. “Dad pretty much checked out once Mom died so I was all he had.” His voice dropped to a whisper, “And he was all I had.”

“He is damn lucky to have you as a brother.” Cas smiled and took his hand again, “I know I'm damn lucky to have you as a boyfriend.” Dean’s heartbeat sped up upon hearing those words, and for a moment, guilt threatened to overtake him. But then Castiel nodded his head to the room across the hall.

“Come on that one's mine.” 

He unlocked the door and flipped on the lights. Cas opened his arms gesturing around the room. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable."

Dean smirked and hopped up on Cas’ large desk. “Nice classroom, Mr. Novak.” He looked around seeing the artwork his students hand drawn hung on the walls. The ABC’s written on the chalkboard along with Cas’ name.

Castiel locked his door and stalked towards Dean with him arms crossed. “Dean is it very rude to sit on a teacher's desk. I wouldn't let my students behave in such a manner.”

“What are you gonna do, Mr. Novak?” Dean spread his legs and pulled Cas between them. “Punish me?”

Castiel growled low in his throat, “That's exactly what I'm going to do.” He surged forwards grabbing hold of Dean's collar, their lips colliding harshly. Dean pulled Castiel in a closer. He groaned before kissing along Dean's sharp jaw bone down his throat to suck love bites onto the expanse of flesh exposed to him, which just wasn't enough. “Take your shirt off," Dean smirked and unbuttoned his shirt slowly, slipping it from his shoulders. Castiel groaned and began to suck a bruise onto Dean’s throat. 

He moved from rubbing up and down Dean’s hips and trailed to the front of his jeans stroking his erection through the denim. “Feel good, Babe?”

Dean thrust into Cas’ hand, “Feels so good, Mr. Novak.”

“I'm beginning to think,” Castiel ran his hand up Dean's chest, “you have a teacher kink.

Dean groaned as he felt Cas’ nails dig into his flesh. “I have a _you_ kink.”

Castiel laved his tongue in circles around Dean’s nipple sucking the hardened nub into his mouth. “Tell me what you want, Dean?”

“Oh, God,” Dean groaned. “You, I want you to fuck me.”

Castiel looked up at Dean, “You want _me_ to fuck _you_?”

Dean smirked, “Very much so, Mr. Novak.” He arched an eyebrow, “What? You thought you were the only one who liked to bottom?”

“Well,” Cas shrugged, “you’ve never said anything before.”

“It never came up, but it has now, and I'm telling you, I would very much like it if you _fucked me_.” Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel's shoulders. “Would you like that? Do you want to fuck me, Teach?”

Castiel nodded enthusiastically before groaning and dropping his head to Dean’s shoulder. “I don't have any lube.”

Dean grinned like the cat that got the cream, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a travel size bottle of lube. “I do.” 

Smirking Castiel took the bottle and sat it on the desk. “You naughty, naughty, student. I should punish you for planning this.”

“Fuck, yeah,” Dean wrapped his legs around Cas’ waist. “Mr. Novak, _punish_ me.” 

Castiel slipped off Dean’s shoes letting them land on the floor with a thud. He unbuttoned and unzipped Dean's jeans. “Up,” Cas demanded. Dean rose up and Castiel slid his jeans and boxers down his thighs and legs pulling them off. Then Castiel dropped to his knees between Dean's spread legs and looked up him. “Tell me what you want me to do?”

Dean groaned, “I want you to suck my dick, Mr. Novak.”

Castiel took Dean’s hard cock in his hand and stroked the heated flesh, watching as pre come pearled at the tip. Cas leaned forward and ran his tongue across the slit pressing a gentle kiss to the head before wrapping his sinful mouth around Dean’s cock. Dean watched as Castiel took him all the way to the root. When Cas slowly began to pull back Dean gripped his hand in the back of Castiel's hair to keep him from completely pulling off. Cas hummed at the sharp sting from having his hair tugged on, sending vibrations through Dean’s dick. Castiel gripped the base of Dean’s cock tight and began bobbing up and down.

“Fuck, fuck you gotta stop.” Cas’ mouth felt so good around him and the way Castiel dragged his nails up and down his thighs was driving him dangerously close to the edge. He began thrusting his hips to add friction and just as he felt himself reaching his climax, “I'm going to come if you don't, and I'm don't want to come until that cock is in me.”

Castiel popped off and rested on his haunches taking in the sight of a beautifully debauched Dean on his desk. “Lay back on my desk, I'm gonna prep you, Dean. Prep you to take my cock.”

Dean moaned and laid down, the cold metal feeling good on his overheated flesh. Castiel spread Dean’s legs wider and Dean waited for the press of a finger against his hole. He jolted when he felt the hot wet press of a tongue caressing the most private part of his body. “Oh God,” Dean keened as his back bowed off the desk, his pucker fluttering with each pass of Cas’ tongue.

Castiel reached for the lube and slicked up his fingers slipping one in alongside his tongue. Dean panted and moaned above him grinding his ass against Cas’ face as he continued to eat Dean out with fervor. Castiel added a second finger and sat back watching as Dean’s hole eagerly swallowed them. He pressed his hand against his aching crotch, God he couldn't wait to get inside Dean.

Dean writhed and moaned on the desk above him as Cas scissored him opening running his fingers along Dean’s inner walls looking for that spot that would make him scream. Castiel grazed that sensitive bump and Dean bucked against his hand. “I'm good, please Teach, fuck me. Fuck me, Mr. Novak.”

Castiel stood up and undid his jeans with shaky hands pushing them to his shins stepping out of them and his shoes. He reached for the lube and poured some onto his cock before running his hand up and down his rock hard flesh. Castiel positioned himself between Dean’s legs and Dean wrapped his legs around Cas’ waist as he propped himself up on his elbows. “What are you waiting for? Fuck me.”

Castiel gripped the base of his cock and ran it along Dean’s slick crack before pushing in watching as the head of his cock popped past the tight ring of muscle and got swallowed up by Dean. He pushed in slowly until he was buried to the hilt. Castiel dropped his head on Dean’s chest. “Oh fuck, damn, you feel so good Dean. So tight and hot.”

Dean hummed and swiveled his hips. “Come on, Teach, show me what you got.” Slowly Cas pulled out and thrusted back in. “Fuck, that feels good,” Dean panted. 

Castiel kept the languid pace fucking into Dean slow and easy enjoying the feel of the hot tight heat encasing his cock. Dean started to roll his hips, “Harder, Cas, please.” He begged.

Cas pulled out slowly before slamming his hips forward and nailing Dean's prostate. He screamed Cas' name, momentarily forgetting where they were. Castiel gripped Dean's hips and pounded into him hitting his sweet spot on each thrust drawing delicious moans and whimpers from Dean’s lips. “Touch me, fuck, please, touch me.” Dean panted breathlessly.

Castiel reached down and took Dean’s thick erection in his hand stroking him in time with his thrusts. “So close, I'm so clo-” Dean's cock throbbed in Cas’ fist as he painted his chest in thick white ropes. 

Castiel continued to thrust into Dean’s sensitive hole chasing his release. Dean's ass clenched and spasmed around his cock squeezing him like a velvety vice. Cas grit his teeth, and thrusted deep into Dean as he came with a low groan, filling Dean to the brim with his release.

Castiel stayed buried in Dean for a while, lazily kissing his throat and running his fingers through Dean’s hair. When his softened cock slipped free Dean winced at the feel of come leaking out of him. Castiel straightened up and Dean pushed himself up into sitting position looking down at his come covered chest grimacing. “We didn't think this through.”

Castiel smirked and opened his desk drawer pulling out a container of wet wipes shaking them. “Always good to have these handy when you teach five year olds.”

Dean took them from Cas’ hand. “Or fuck in your classroom.”

Castiel snorted and grabbed a handful, wiping himself off. Castiel picked up their clothes off the floor handing Dean his. They got dressed and slipped their shoes back on. Dean pulled Cas into a kiss by his belt loops. Castiel sighed against his lips. “We made an appearance what do you say we sneak out and go back to your apartment and,” Castiel ran his hands down Dean’s back and gripped his ass, “you fuck me.” 

Dean groaned against Cas’ lips, “I like the way you think, Mr. Novak.”

Dean woke up in bed alone. He rolled over and stretched, his whole body ached in the most gratifying way. A smile graced his lips as he thought about last night in Castiel’s classroom and then twice more once they made it back to the apartment.

He got out of bed, slipped on his sweatpants and padded down the hallway into the living room where he could see Castiel by the stove cooking and humming along to the Christmas music playing on the radio. He smiled as he watched Cas sway and plate the bacon with a set of tongs.

Walking up behind him Dean wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist, and swayed with him as he rested his chin on Cas’ shoulder. “What's for breakfast, Sweetheart?”

“Pancakes, bacon,” Castiel relaxed in Dean’s arms, “and scrambled eggs.”

Dean furrowed his brows as looked at the griddle the pancakes were cooking on. “Our pancakes are green.”

Cas chuckled, “And shaped like Christmas trees.” He turned his head and kissed Dean on the cheek, “Why don't you set the table and pour us some orange juice and coffee while I finish the pancakes and eggs.” Dean reached for a piece of bacon sitting on the counter behind Cas, but before his fingers closed around it, Cas scolded him. “And no eating the bacon.”

Dean’s mouth dropped, “How the hell did you-”

Castiel smirked over his shoulder, “I have my ways.”

After breakfast they curled up on the couch together. Dean kissed Castiel on the forehead and asked. “You excited about going out and looking at Christmas lights tonight?”

“Yes,” Castiel smiled up at him. “I have our route all mapped out. It takes about thirty minutes to drive it, but if you count the time you stop at the houses that are synced with music and watch for a while it takes about an hour and a half, maybe a little longer.” He turned on the couch to face Dean, “We’re going to start on Pebble Lane and end on Massachusetts Street, between 6th Street and 11th every tree is lit up. There are over two hundred lighted trees there.”

“I'm excited too, Cas,” Dean smiled back at him. “I haven't driven around and looked at Christmas lights since… well, I don't think I ever did that.”

“I'm glad your first time is going to be with me then.”Castiel waggled his eyebrows.

Dean snorted, “Way to make going and looking at Christmas lights perverted Cas.”

Castiel winked and positioned himself to where his head way lying in Dean’s lap. “Remind me to stop by the ATM before we go tonight.”

“How come,” Dean asked as he carded his fingers through Cas’ hair.

Castiel let his eyes flutter shut as Dean gently scratched his scalp. “Because a few of the houses are part of _Light Up Lawerence_.”

Dean furrowed his brows, “What's that?”

Castiel leaned in Dean’s touch, “It raises money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The houses participating, the ones that have their lights synced up to music,” he snuggled closer, “they have a drop box out front for those who stop by and watch to donate if they want.”

“You know that's a really good cause,” Dean hummed and nodded a smile spreading across his face as he remembered the unlimited credit card Crowley had given him. “I think I’ll donate too.”

“It really is a good cause,” Castiel agreed. “A student of mine from last year is at St. Jude's right now.” Castiel sighed, “She's a sweet bright girl who was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia at the start of her first grade year.” His eyes met Dean’s, “I'm donating for her.”

“What's her name?” 

“Chelsea Marie,” Castiel replied with a small smile.

Dean placed his hand on Castiel's cheek rubbing his thumb along Cas’ jaw. “I'm donating for Chelsea Marie, too.”

They stopped by the ATM and Dean drew eight hundred dollars off the card Crowley gave him, one hundred dollars for each house participating in _Light up Lawerence_. Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean and told him he was a truly amazing man for giving so much.

After their stop at the bank, Cas insisted they go to Starbucks, because riding around in the snow looking at Christmas lights just isn't the same without hot chocolate.

The cheery teenager working the counter smiled at them as they approached. “What can I get you guys?” 

Castiel quickly glanced over the holiday selections before ordering. “I’ll have the venti peppermint mocha.”

“Okay,” she replied and then looked at Dean. “What about you?”

Dean opened his mouth and Cas turned to him, “Don't you dare think about ordering a black coffee. You are going to order something festive,” he turned back to the girl working the counter, “we're going to look at Christmas lights and black coffee is just not festive.”

Chuckling Dean shook his head as he looked back at the now amused teen. “I’ll have what he's having.”

“Okay two venti peppermint mochas coming up,” she replied with a smile as she turned to make their order.

She handed them their drinks and a small bag. At their confused looks she giggled, “I threw in four peppermint brownie cake pops for you guys because you're just such a cute couple.” She gave them a wink and turned to take the next order.

“Up here is the first house that's part of _Light up Lawrence_.” Dean pulled up in front of the house and tuned into the radio station the driveway sign said was broadcasting the music synced with each home’s decorations. They drank their mochas and watched the lights blink, flash, and fade to the music playing. After about twenty minutes, they got out of the car walked up to the drop-off box at the end of the driveway to add their donation to St. Jude’s.

Once back in the car Dean started up Baby and looked over at Cas. “Where to next?” 

They drove from house to house on Cas’ route, stopping and watching the ones that were synced with music and making donations at the ones that were partnered with _Light up Lawrence_.

Once they made it to the final neighborhood Dean smiled at Cas’, “Wow, this street is straight out of _Christmas with the Kranks_.”

Castiel smirked at Dean, “Yeah it is, the only thing missing is the giant Frosty on the roof.”

Dean let out a bark of laughter and reached over to hold Cas’ hand. “Is this the last house up here on the left, the one with the giant inflatable snow globe?”

“Yeah,” Cas replied with a smile, “and it's my favorite.” They pulled up in front of the house, dropped their last donation in the box provided and got back into Baby where Dean flipped on the radio tuning into the correct station so they could enjoy the show.

The multicolor LED lights adorning the house and driveway danced in rhythm while Tran Siberian Orchestra's _Carol of the Bells_ played. The various snowmen, penguins, reindeer, candy canes, Christmas trees, and Santa Claus lit up in time with the music. It was truly mesmerizing and by the time the third song started to play Dean was no longer watching the light show he was watching Cas watch it. The wonder and awe in his eyes was one hundred times more magical than the thousands of twinkling lights.

_I’ll Be Home For Christmas_ came on and Dean slid closer to Cas and started to sing,

“ _I'll be home for Christmas You can plan on me Please have some snow and mistletoe And presents by the tree_.”

Castiel smiled brightly, “This has been so much fun!”

“Yeah, it has,” Dean reached up and placed his hand on Cas’ cheek pulling him into a kiss while the lights continued their dance behind them. He slipped his tongue into Cas’ mouth and tasted the chocolate and peppermint mixed with the unique taste of Cas. But more than that, Cas felt like _home_ and what the hell did that mean for Dean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the links to my artist's pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23324254)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya May 4th! :)


	13. Santa Baby, Been a Really Good Boy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient guys! Sorry I didn't post yesterday Mother Nature was a Bitch and storms knocked out my internet. But a day late is better than not posting right guys? ;)
> 
> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl for betaing and ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter.
> 
> Thanks to ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics for this chapter
> 
> Links to my artist's pages are in the end notes as well. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made so far and give them thanks! :)
> 
>    
> Happy Reading Guys!!

* * *

  


It was Christmas Eve and Dean woke just as the sun was rising and looked down to see Cas was using his chest as a pillow. Dean tightened his arms around his lover’s waist and lay still, trying not to disturb him, he liked the warmth of Cas laying on him. They’d driven up to the Novaks the night before, and laying here looking around Cas’ room, it brought back memories of the room he shared with Sam at Bobby’s. 

He listened to the gentle hum of the heater as his mind wandered to Sam and Bobby. How would they be spending today? Would Bobby already be up making cookies? God, he missed them both so much. What he wouldn’t give to be able to just talk to them. Cas shifted in his arms and Dean smiled down at his messy bed head. They would love Cas he was just sure of it. Especially Sam, two huge nerds, They’d be great together. 

His chest ached painfully when he realized they would never meet Cas, that he would never get to take Cas home for any holiday. This wasn’t a forever kinda deal with Cas all he had was here and now, and he damn well was going to enjoy it. He took a deep breath and changed his train of thought to happier things, thinking back to yesterday when they arrived.

Chuck had made good on his promise and took Dean to the bookshop. He’d spent hours looking through Chuck’s collection while Castiel helped him run the front of the shop. In between flipping through old books he watched how well Castiel and his father worked together. It was a kind of practice that must have come from many summers and weekends of Castiel helping his father out. 

When they closed up and returned to the house Becky was waiting with a smile on her face and dinner on the table. Just like their stay for Thanksgiving, dinner was relaxed and full of conversation and with their stomachs full they moved to the living room, watching mindless TV shows while they talked. Dean and Cas decided to retire to bed early, where Castiel took him apart for hours worshiping every single part of his body driving him to the brink of madness before giving him sweet release. 

There were no big plans on the agenda today since Castiel's family celebrated on Christmas Day. Their plans consisted of watching Christmas classics and making homemade cookies for ‘Santa’, a tradition in the Novak household since they’d adopted Cas. Basically just spending quality time together as a family. The Novak’s were doing everything to make Dean feel at home, and that made him feel a mixture of happiness at being so accepted into this wonderful family and hurt because there was no way to get around the fact that Dean was deceiving them all. 

He sighed and ran his hand down Cas’ back. There was no set time they needed to be up, but Dean had been awake for a while now, the sun had fully risen hours ago and was peeking through the curtains. He looked down at Castiel watching him sleep peacefully and for a few minutes allowed himself to pretend _this is my life_. 

Castiel was truly breathtaking in his arms like this, hair all mussed, dark eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks, and the little adorable faces he made when he was in a deep sleep. Dean found himself unable to look away. 

“Are you watching me sleep?” Cas’ deep voice slurred.

“No,” Dean lied as he ran his fingers back through Cas’ hair.

Castiel cracked open an eye and smirked up at Dean, “Liar.”

“Can you blame me for watching?” Dean kissed Castiel on top of his messy bed head. “You're beautiful Cas.”

Castiel hummed and snuggled closer to Dean. “And you're a flatterer, Dean Winchester. Why aren't you sleeping? We were up late last night.”

Dean smiled as he remembered in detail _why_ they were up so late. “Yes, we were.” Dean looked at his watch, “But it's also almost one o'clock so I’ve had enough sleep.”

Castiel opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows, looking at Dean in disbelief. “Really? It's almost one.” Dean nodded and lifted his wrist, showing Castiel his watch. “Holy shit, we should get up Dean!”

Dean pulled Castiel back down onto his chest. “In a few minutes, I was enjoying holding you.”

“Okay,” Castiel cuddled back into him, smiling against his skin, “but only because you're so comfortable.”

Castiel looked up at Dean who was lost in thought, he pressed a kiss to his chest drawing his attention to him. “What are you thinking so hard about?”

He smiled down at Cas, “I was just thinking about Sam and Bobby.”

“You miss them, don’t you?” Cas whispered as he traced patterns on Dean’s chest with his fingertips.

“Very much,” he kissed Castiel on the forehead. “But I’m happy to be here with you and your family.”

“I’m glad too, maybe,” Cas reached up and placed his hand on Dean’s cheek, “we can go visit them. I would love to meet your family.”

“Yeah,” Dean gave Cas a warm smile as his heart throbbed painfully, knowing that would never happen. “I would love for you to meet them too.”

It was close to two o'clock before they got dressed and made their way downstairs. Chuck waved at them from the living room where he was seated in his recliner reading the paper. Dean and Castiel walked into the kitchen where Becky making sub sandwiches for lunch, she had three different kinds of chips poured out into bowls on the bar and smiled at them when she heard them walk in, chuckling happily. “I was beginning to wonder if your boys were ever going to join us.”

Castiel grabbed a handful of Cool Ranch Doritos. “Sorry, Mom,” he mumbled around a chip.

She playfully slapped his shoulder, “You know I'm just teasing you, Castiel. Did you boys sleep well?” he nodded as he continued to eat his chips and she smiled over at Dean. “You both hungry?” she asked as she picked up a knife to slice a tomato.

“Yes,” they both answered in unison and Dean added with a groan, “Starving.”

She laughed and asked, “How do you like your sub Dean?”

“With a little bit of everything.” 

“Just like Castiel.” She smiled fondly before pointing to the stools at the bar. “Take a seat boys, you two eat some chips while I make these up.”

Dean sat down and grabbed a handful of sour cream and onion chips, chomping on them as he watched Becky folding slices of meat and cheese into rolls.

She plated their finished subs and slid them across the bar top with a small and a cheerful, “There you go!” Then she returned her attention to the fixings before her and made herself and Chuck a plate. She plopped a handful of Doritos next to Chuck’s sub, bringing it to him before returning in leaning against the bar to take a bite of her own.

“So do you boys wanna make the cookies for Santa?” She asked, nodding to the counter where a few recipe cards were sitting. “I have a book I would love to finish.”

Dean looked over at Castiel who smiled and nodded at him before he turned back to Becky. “We would love to,” he said with such enthusiasm she giggled. “Sorry,” he replied sheepishly. “It's just been so long since I’ve done anything like that.”

“Did you make cookies for Santa with your Mother when you were a child?” Becky asked.

Dean nodded and gave her a sad smile. “I did. I don't remember much, but I know we made them.” He looked down at his empty plate. “She passed away when I was four.”

Dean looked up when he felt a hand enclose around his and was met with a pair of warm blue eyes. “I'm sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” Dean whispered before clearing his throat and changing the subject. “So what kind of cookies are we making?”

Castiel smiled and picked up the stack of cards. “Chocolate chip, sugar, and gingerbread men.”

Dean's eyes widened, taking the recipes from Castiel's hands and flipping through them. “You guys take Santa's cookies seriously.”

“Very,” Becky replied with a wink. “You two have fun,” she called over her shoulder as she walked out.

Castiel turned on the radio and Christmas music filled the air. “Let's get to work,” he smiled and plucked one of the cards from Dean's hands. 

They worked together, joking and laughing as they mixed up all the doughs and placed them in refrigerator. Dean broke out into song making Cas smile and laugh. He pulled Castiel into his arms and sang to him as they swayed along to the song while the doughs set.

When the timer went off Cas wiggled out of Dean's hold and pulled the bowl of chilled chocolate chip dough out of the refrigerator. Cas handed Dean a cookie scoop and they started filling up baking sheets with drops of the dough.

While Castiel placed the last tray of chocolate chip cookies into the oven, Dean reached for the canister of flour and spread it on the bar top. When he turned, Dean smirked as he saw Cas bending down in the fridge to pull out the bowl of sugar cookie dough. Dean whistled and Cas looked over his shoulder and shook his ass with a sly smile. 

“See something you like?”

Dean bit his bottom lip. “Oh hell yeah.” 

Castiel straightened up and sauntered over to the bar setting down the bowl of dough next to the cookie cutters. Dean picked up the large ball of dough and placed it onto the floured surface, then he rolled it, coating it in flour. “Hey, Babe? Can you get me a rolling pin?”

Castiel gave Dean a peck on the lips and smiled, “Sure.” He turned and Dean reached out to grip his ass, causing Cas to stop dead in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder and then down to his ass. Dean burst out laughing at the shocked look on his lover’s face as he took in the stark white handprint gripping his ass cheek.

Castiel huffed, “Real mature, Dean,” he said running his hand through the flour, smirking as he stroked his floured hand down the side of Dean’s face.

Dean’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. “I can't believe you just did that.”

Castiel closed the distance between them and nipped Dean’s bottom lip, “Believe it.”

“You asked for it, Cas,” Dean growled as he lunged forward.

Castiel darted back and ran around to the other side of the bar, smirking back at Dean.“Gotta get me first!”

“I will catch you, Cas,” Dean promised as he rounded the bar. Dean would move to go left and Cas would go right. After a few minutes of the cat and mouse chase Dean got flustered, picked up a handful of flour and tossed it at Cas. A white puff exploded in his face, covering his skin along with a majority of his hair. 

Cas balked and Dean used his momentary shock to his advantage and ran around the bar wrapping Cas up in his arms. “Gotcha,” he growled by his lover's ear. Dean pulled back and smiled at Cas all covered in flour before he leaned in and claimed his lips. 

Dean and Castiel were caught up in their kiss when they heard a gasp and sprung apart. “What happened to my kitchen?” Becky asked with her arms crossed.

Dean and Cas both pointed at each other. “He started it!” they exclaimed in unison.

Becky giggled and took her phone out of her pocket to snap a picture of them. “Well, I don't care who started it. Both of you clean this mess up.” she chided, but was unable to wipe the amused smile off her face. Dean and Castiel smirked at each other before they started stalking towards Becky. She narrowed her eyes, “What are you boys doing?”

Castiel opened up his arms, “We just want a hug, Mom.” 

“Don't you dare,” she squeaked as she tried to make a run for it, Becky only made it a few steps before Dean and Castiel boxed her in and wrapped her up in a big hug. Castiel kissed her cheek and they moved back laughing at her disgruntled look.

Becky swatted at them both, “Don't you two laugh at me!” She sighed and shook her head as she ushered them back to the bar. “Come on boys, now that I'm filthy, I’ll help you finish the sugar cookies and gingerbread men.” Becky opened the utensil drawer pulled out her rolling pin and looked over at her son. “Castiel, why don't you order a few pizzas from Chiusano's Brick Oven Pizzeria. They should be open until seven tonight.”

Castiel nodded, “Want me to order the usual? Large pepperoni, extra-large supreme and breadsticks.” 

She looked over at Dean, “Do you want anything specific?”

“Nope,” he shook his head, “supreme sounds good to me.”

“Place the usual and then let your father know when to pick it up. Dean and I will work on the cookies.” Castiel picked up the phone and walked out of the room to make the call. Becky smiled at Dean. “I’ll roll out the dough, you cut em’ out.”

Dean returned her smile. “Sounds good to me.”

When Castiel came back from placing the order and talking to his Dad he started cleaning up the flour while Becky and Dean finished making cookies. 

Becky was taking out the last batch of cookies from the oven while the guys wiped down the counters. When they heard “Pizza’s here!” Chuck entered the kitchen brandishing two large pizza boxes and a bag of breadsticks.

They ate dinner while the cookies cooled and afterwards Chuck went back into the living room to watch TV while Becky, Castiel, and Dean decorated the sugar cookies and gingerbread men. Becky opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle, turning to face Dean and Castiel while shaking the bottle of Southern Comfort eggnog. “Who wants a drink?”

“Me,” Dean and Castiel answered as they filled icing bags with red, green, blue, and yellow icing. Becky pulled out three glass snowmen mugs and filled them with eggnog. She handed one to Cas and then Dean before grabbing hers and taking a seat at the bar with them.

Two bottles of eggnog later and the three of them were a little tipsy. Becky was giggling as she tried to draw red pants on her gingerbread man. Dean looked up from the star he was coloring blue and smiled at the intense look of concentration on Cas’ face as he decorated a Christmas tree. Dean smirked and squirted a blob of icing on his finger.

“Hey, Cas!” He looked at Dean. “You got a little icing on your face.”

Castiel furrowed his brows and crossed his eyes trying to see it, “Where?”

“Right,” Dean reached over and smeared the blue icing on Cas’ cheek, “there.”

Becky burst out giggling and Castiel huffed. “You get it off me now, Dean Winchester.” Dean smirked as he leaned over and licked the icing from his cheek. “Dean!” Castiel yelped as a bright flush rose on his cheeks causing Becky to laugh even harder.

It took two hours for them to decorate all the cookies, put them in containers, and clean the kitchen back up. Becky poured them another glass of eggnog and one for Chuck before loading down a plate with a variety of cookies. 

“Alright, boys, job well done, let's go relax and watch a movie.”

Dean and Castiel snuggled up together on the couch while Becky handed her husband his eggnog and placed the plate of cookies on the coffee table before she stretched out on the loveseat. “Hey, Chuck, find us a movie to watch.”

Chuck reached for the remote on the coffee table grabbing a gingerbread man in the process. He turned on TNT’s twenty-four hours of _A Christmas Story_. Becky smiled, “Look it's just starting.”

Dean reached for a Christmas tree sugar cookie. Cas smiled and whispered in his ear, “That's one I decorated.”

“I know,” Dean took a bite, “that's why I chose it.”

He held out the cookie towards Castiel who leaned in and took a bite. Green icing painted his lips and Dean leaned in, kissing them clean before wrapping the blanket from the couch around them. He relaxed, enjoying the warmth of Castiel cuddled up to him as he watched Ralphie attempt to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder BB gun truly is the perfect Christmas gift.

Castiel yawned and stretched, smiling as he felt warm arms tighten around him. “S’to early, be still, Babe.”

Cas glanced at the bedside clock and saw it had just turned seven. He knew his Mom and Dad would be up by now. His Dad sitting at the table reading while his Mom made a big Christmas breakfast, before putting the ham in the oven for dinner.

He buried his face into Dean’s, throat peppering it with kisses to start waking him up. Dean hummed as Castiel continued his explorations along his collarbone. Castiel mumbled against his heated throat, “It’s after seven, don't you wanna get up and see if Santa came?”

“I would rather get up and see what your Mom is cooking,” Dean groaned as Cas nibbled on his ear lobe. “I can smell it from here.”

“It's her famous Christmas breakfast.” Castiel propped himself up on his elbows. “She makes vanilla French toast, bacon, sausage links, eggs, biscuits and gravy.” He tried to squirm free so he could get up but Dean wrapped his arms and legs around him. “No, you’re warm don't leave me.” Castiel snorted and relaxed back against Dean.

Dean threaded his fingers through Cas’ hair as Castiel placed open mouthed kisses on his sternum before trailing his tongue down Dean’s chest and stomach. 

Dean’s cock was hard, and throbbing. “You going to suck my dick? Take all of my big cock?” He asked as he thrust his hips up teasingly.

Cas hummed and nodded, darting his tongue out to lick the precum that had gathered on the head of his Dean’s cock. Castiel practically purred as he tasted Dean. He gripped Dean’s cock and stroked it coaxing out more pre come before licking him clean, Dean’s taste was intoxicating. He licked the head of Dean's cock once more before sucking it into his mouth swirling his tongue all around the sensitive underside.

“God Cas, feels so good.” Dean moaned as Castiel sank down feeling Dean’s cock press against the back of his throat, and he looked up, his big blue eyes blown with lust as he began to bob up and down slowly, flattening his tongue to massage Dean’s shaft. 

Dean watched Cas hungrily as his plump lips stretched around his cock. “Oh, fuck, Baby, you look so fuckin’ sexy with your lips wrapped around my dick. You gonna make me come Cas, swallow it all?” 

Castiel hummed and took Dean deeper. “God, Cas I’m close, so fuckin close, you just feel too good.” Dean moaned as he gripped Castiel's hair harder. He thrust up as Cas sucked him down, his cock pressed deep in Castiel's throat as he pumped his release in long thick bursts with a choked off moan.

“Fuck, you, come here,” Dean pulled Castiel on top of him his legs bracketing Dean’s stomach. Dean licked his hand wetting it thoroughly before he wrapped it around Castiel's throbbing dick.

Cas whined as Dean tightened his grip, jerking him harder. “Come on, Sweetheart, come for me,” Dean coaxed as he twisted his wrist at the head of Cas’ cock before jacking back down again. “I want you to come on me Cas, paint me,” 

Dean rubbed his thumb over the head of Cas’ cock.  
Cas moaned, spurting his release in long stripes over Dean’s body. “So hot, Cas, fuck you are so goddamn sexy.” Dean groaned, watching as Cas threw his head back. He stroked Cas through his orgasm until he collapsed on top of him. 

“Merry Christmas, Cas,” Dean whispered against his ear, pressing his lips to the back of his head.

“Merry Christmas, Dean,” Cas whispered back.

After a few minutes of laying in the list, they got up, cleaned up, and made their way down stairs where Becky and Chuck were in the kitchen. “Merry Christmas, boys. Just in time,” Becky smiled at them. “Dig in.”

After a big breakfast they all gathered in the sunroom to watch movies and let their food settle. After _Miracle on 34th Street_ finished Becky turned to them with a smile. “Time to open presents. Dean you wanna play Santa?”

Dean flashed her a smile, trying to hold back his excitement as he stood up, “sure.” He kneeled by the tree and began to pass out the gifts.

After they had all been handed out except for one very large one that rested against the wall. Becky started by opening her gifts from Dean. “Dean thank you so much for the Kindle Voyage and the gift card, I love them! Not to mention the Bourbon balls, I can eat those while I read.” Next she opened what Castiel had gotten her, a Family circle of love birthstone necklace with all their names and birthstones on it, a warm vanilla sugar gift basket from Bath and Bodyworks, and a midnight blue monogrammed fleece bathrobe. She put on the white gold circular necklace and rubbed her fingers over it. Her eyes teared up as she pulled her son into a hug. “I love it, Castiel.” Lastly she opened what Chuck had gotten her. It was a day pass at a spa, her favorite perfume, and a pearl bracelet with matching earrings. “Thank all you so much. All these gifts are wonderful.”

Chuck went next. He opened his gifts from Castiel first, a vintage clear glass liquor decanter with a wooden cork and glass tumblers, a grey terry cloth bath robe monogrammed in gold lettering, and a wooden watch with the _Men of Letters_ bookshop symbol engraved on the back. “Thank you Castiel, this watch is so unique.” 

Next he turned to the gifts Dean had gotten him, opening a box of Bourbon balls, a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey Gold Reserve, and the gift basket from Swiss Colony. Chuck held up the bottle of whiskey. “We will have to have a drink later, Dean. Thank you for this.”

Dean nodded, “I will definitely take you up on that drink.”

Lastly Chuck opened what his wife got him, a pair of black silk pajamas, an electric shaver, and a new set of golf clubs with engraved golf balls. “Thank you, Sweetheart I love it all.” 

He looked at Castiel, “Your turn, son.”

Castiel started with the gifts from his mom and Dad. First he opened a black leather briefcase, then a pair of black converse Chuck Taylor high tops. After he opened the shoes Dean pointed to the big present leaning against the wall. “That one is yours too, Cas.” 

“Wow,” his eyes widened as he got up and walked over to the large present and opened it. He gasped when he tore into the wrapping paper. It was a 42 inch flat screen TV. He pulled his Mom and Dad into a hug. “Thank you Mom, Dad, thank you so much. I love it! I can’t wait to try it out!”

“We're glad you like it, son,” Chuck replied with a warm smile.

“Movie night at your apartment when we get home.” Dean said as he looked over Cas’ shoulder at the box.

“Definitely,” Cas grinned.

They sat back down and Cas pulled the pile of presents from Dean next to him. He gave his boyfriend a smile as he tore into them. He held up a pair of Ray-Ban Aviator Sunglasses. “Oohh, nice!” He put them on and smirked at Dean. “I think this gift was more for you. I know you like the way I look in them.”

“I ain’t denying that.” He leaned over and gave Cas a peck on the cheek, “I know you loved the ones you lost, so I thought you might like a new pair.”

“I do, I really do.” Castiel opened his next gift, a blu-ray player and surround sound system. “This is so great! It’s going to go perfect with my new TV.” He exclaimed as he narrowed his eyes at Dean, “did you know I was getting a new TV? Is that why you got me the blu-ray player?” 

Dean shrugged, “I may have been privy to such information.”

Castiel smiled as he sat the box aside so he could unwrap his last gift. It was a medium sized trunk that looked like a beehive, inside was a pair of bee pajamas, a sampler pack of flavored honey, honey shampoo and conditioner, and an amber paperweight with a honeybee trapped in the center. He spun the paperweight around in his hands and smiled at Dean. “I love it.”

Dean returned his smile. “I figured you could put it on your desk at school. I thought your students would think it was kinda cool and you could maybe give them a science lesson about it.”

Castiel placed it back in the trunk along with the other gifts. “I think I will do that for show and tell.” He nodded towards Dean's gifts. “Your turn.”

Dean rubbed his hands together, “Where to start.” He tore into the gifts from Chuck and Becky, first he opened a bottle of Armani Code. Dean’s eyes widened as he opened his second gift. “Oh, my God, _oh my God_ , thank you, thank you so much.”

“What is it?” Castiel asked with a knowing smile.

Dean held up a hardback copy of Kurt Vonnegut’s _Slaughterhouse Five_. “It's a first edition signed copy, Cas! Of my favorite book by my favorite author!”

“A little birdie may have told me you were very fond of his works and that was your favorite book.” Chuck smiled, “I'm glad you like it.” 

“Like it?” Dean shook his head, “No, I love it.” Dean gently placed the book down beside him and reached for his next gift which was a Mr. Coffee WiFi-Enabled 10-Cup Coffeemaker.

Castiel took it from Dean’s hands and read the description on the box. “ _The Mr. Coffee 10-Cup Optimal Brew Smart Coffeemaker enabled by WeMo. WeMo works over Wi-Fi, so you can easily adjust your coffeemaker whenever you like, from wherever you are._ ” Castiel smirked at his boyfriend, “We are definitely spending more nights at your apartment.” Castiel flushed when he realized what he had just said, he cleared his throat. “Open what I got you now.”

Dean opened up his first gift from Cas which was a 67’ Impala model car kit. Dean smiled as he placed it with his other gifts. “Thanks, I can't wait to put it together.” Next he opened a 161 piece Stanley household tool kit. “Wow, thanks, I really needed this.” Dean reached for his last gift which brought biggest smile to his face it was a Crosley Cruiser Portable Turntable and a stack of records from Zeppelin, AC/DC, Kansas, Styx, Foreigner, Reo Speedwagon, David Bowie, The Beatles, and Boston. “Cas this is amazing, it's awesome. I can't wait to try it out.” He pulled Castiel into his arms and gave him a kiss.

“I'm glad you like it.” Castiel whispered into his ear.

Becky went into the kitchen while they were cuddling and came back a few minutes later with a trash bag to collect the wrapping paper. After the sunroom was cleaned up and the presents put away Becky put on a pot of coffee and plated some more of the cookies from last night. “You boys relax and watch TV I'm going to start on dinner.”

Chuck, Dean, and Castiel drank their coffee and ate cookies as they watched _The Ref_. No sooner than the movies credits had started rolling Becky came in and told them dinner was ready.

When they walked into the kitchen the table was set with a spiral ham, slices of pineapple and cherries on top of it, mashed potatoes and gravy, homestyle green beans, corn on the cob, cheesy hashbrowns casserole, yams with roasted marshmallows and sweet rolls.

They took their seat around the table. “This all looks amazing.” Dean said with a huge smile on his face. “Thank you for inviting me to spend Christmas with you.”

Becky reached over and squeezed his hand, “You're welcome here anytime, as far as I'm concerned you’re family.” Dean looked around the table to see that Chuck and Castiel were nodding in agreement. 

Dean had to swallow down his emotions that were thick in his throat. “That means a lot to me.”

After dinner Dean and Castiel cleaned the kitchen for Becky. Castiel was putting up the last of the dishes when he heard Dean’s clear his throat. He turned around and saw Dean standing in the entrance to the kitchen. He motioned above his head and Castiel looked up noticing the sprig of mistletoe hanging there. Cas wiped his hands on the dish towel and stalked over to his boyfriend. Dean ran his fingertips up Castiel's forearm, before bringing that hand up to cup his cheek, Dean’s thumb ran along the sharp contour of his cheekbone. Dean leaned down, his lips parting slightly as they pressed against Cas’ as he nuzzled against Dean's hand. The kiss was soft, gentle, and just as chaste as their very first kiss. 

Dean rested his forehead against Castiel's. “Merry Christmas, Cas.”

Castiel smiled and wrapped his arms around Dean. “Merry Christmas, Dean.”

“Cas are you sure you don't want to go out tonight? Are you sure you don't want to ring in the New Year at Zar’s party?” Dean asked as they lay in bed tangled together.

Castiel nodded, “I'm one hundred percent sure, unless you wanna go out.” He met Dean’s eyes, “Do you want to go out?”

Dean ran his hand down Cas’ back. “No, I don't want to go out. I want to bring in the New Year here, with just you.”

“I'm very much on board with that plan.” Castiel hummed and laid his head back down on Dean’s chest. “What did you usually do with Bobby and Sam, did you guys do something special, did you have a tradition?

“Nah,” Dean shook his head. “We usually just hung out.” A small smile spread across his face. “Bobby’d make us lots of stuff to snack on and we’d just hang out, drink beers and watch movies until it was time to watch the ball drop.”

“So,” Cas grinned up at him, “we’re kind of keeping up your tradition, then, huh?”

Dean laughed softly, “I guess we are.” 

“Well, okay, then,” Cas nodded, “movies and ball drop watching it is.”

Dean kissed Cas on top the head, “Good.”

“Will you make me burgers?” Castiel mumbled against Dean’s skin.

Dean let out a loud bark of laughter, “Of course I will, anything for you.”

It was hours later before they finally detangled and got out of bed. They both slipped on a pair of sweats and a tee before going into the kitchen to make lunch. Dean looked into the refrigerator and turned back to Cas, “How about some grilled cheeses and tomato soup?”

Castiel's stomach rumbled loudly and he smiled sheepishly, “That sounds good.”

Dean smirked at him as he pulled out the cheese and butter. “That's what happens when you spend all morning in bed going at it like rabbits.”

Castiel snorted, “So worth it.” He opened the cabinet and pulled out a few cans of tomato soup. “You make the grilled cheese and I’ll make the soup.”

Dean grinned, “Sounds like a plan. You want one or two?”

“Two, I'm starving!” Cas called over his shoulder as he grabbed a couple of bowls from the cabinet.

“Two it is, can't have you starving.” Dean smiled and started buttering the bread. “I need you to keep up your strength.” Castiel laughed and started on the soup.

“Mmm this is good,” Cas dipped his grilled cheese into his tomato soup and took a bite. “Thanks for lunch.”

Dean swallowed his bite of grilled cheese before winking at him. “It was a joint effort.”

As soon as they were done eating they cleared the table and put their plates into the dishwasher. When the last dish was in place, Dean took Cas’ hand and led him into the living room. “Movie?”

Castiel curled into Dean’s side, “Can we watch _The Princess Bride_?”

Dean whispered, “As you wish,” into Cas’ ear and queued up the movie.

After a couple more movies and a very heated make-out session Dean got to work on dinner. He pulled out all of the ingredients he needed from the refrigerator, the spices he needed, and mixing bowls. Dean worked in silence for a while with Castiel watching. “I like watching you cook.” Castiel said breaking the silence.

“Really?” Dean smiled as he started pressing out the hamburgers. “Why?”

Castiel shrugged, “You always look happy while you're cooking.”

Dean looked over at Castiel, “It's because I have someone to cook for,” he smiled at Cas, “Someone who makes me happy, someone I want to make happy.” Dean whispered as he placed the burgers into the frying pan and turned on the oil for the curly fries.

Cas set the table as Dean finished up the burgers and fries, getting all the condiments and their drinks. Castiel smiled down at his plate when Dean placed it in front of him. He picked up his cheeseburger and took a huge bite, moaning lewdly as he began to chew. He smirked at Dean, “Still the best burger I have ever had.”

Dean smiled at Cas as he picked up his burger. “Thanks, Babe.”

Along around ten o'clock Dean pulled out a bottle of champagne he had chilling. He popped the cork and poured him and Cas each a glass. They drank champagne as they listened to records on the player Castiel had got him for Christmas. After they finished their third glass Dean stood up and held out his hand pulling Cas up and into his arms. Dean sang in his ear as they danced across the living room.

Dean opened another bottle of champagne as midnight drew near. He turned off The Beatles and turned on the TV to ‘ABC’s New Year's Eve Live from Times Square’ so they could join the rest of the east coast and watch the ball drop from some tower in New York City. “How long until the ball drops?” Castiel asked as Dean refilled his glass. 

Dean glanced at the TV, “About five minutes.” They watched the excitement of Times Square as the clock ticked closer to midnight and the countdown began.

**_Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, Happy New Year!!!_** blared on the TV. Dean surged forward and claimed Cas’ lips licking into his mouth as Castiel opened up for him. His tongue tangling with Cas’ as he deepened the kiss. When Dean broke the kiss his lips tingled and his heart was racing.

Castiel held up his wine glass, “Make a toast.”

Dean smiled “I only know one. It's an old Irish blessing,” he held his glass up.

“ _May you never steal, lie, or cheat._  
But if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows.  
And if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life.   
And if you must cheat, then please cheat death   
because I couldn't live a day without you. Cheers!” 

Dean clanked their glasses together and they drank. Castiel sat his empty glass on the coffee table and looked over at Dean. “Take me to bed Dean, take me to bed and make love to me.”

Dean stood up and took Castiel's hand. “Gladly, Sweetheart.”

They undressed each other as they made their way to the bedroom, articles of clothing being left where they were dropped. Once in the bedroom Dean gently eased Castiel onto the bed, climbing on top of him. He placed kisses on Castiel face tracing his hard jawline with his lips, Castiel sighed and whimpered as Dean kissed along his throat paying special attention to the spot behind his ear that Dean just knows drives him wild. Dean’s fingers skated along Cas’ body touching every single inch, setting his skin on fire. 

Castiel moaned into Dean’s mouth as he rocked against him driving their rock hard erections together. He wrapped his legs around Dean's waist as he continued to devour Castiel's mouth. Dean ran his fingers along Cas’ ribs before running his fingertips over his hip bone before gripping it. Dean’s thigh gently pushed against Cas’ hard cock, causing him to groan into Dean’s mouth.

Dean licked a stripe up Cas’ throat, nipping at it gently. Castiel's hands reached up and his fingers threaded into Dean's hair as Castiel let out a breathy gasp. Dean gyrated his hips once more and Castiel began to writhe beneath him.

He kissed and sucked love bites down Castiel's body paying extra attention to those sinfully sharp hip bones, leaving a blooming bruise that would last for days on each of them. Dean mouthed at Cas’ thighs, his stubble scratching against them as he ran his tongue up the crack of Castiel's ass causing his back to bow, a primitive groan to fall from his lips and him to grip the rails of the headboard.

Dean wanted more, he wanted to draw more of those noise from Cas’ lips he wanted Castiel to shatter into a million blissful pieces as he took him apart. 

He opened Castiel's legs wider and spread his ass cheeks watching his hole flutter, before leaning in and pressing his tongue against the tight hole, laving at it with quick hard strokes. Dean pressed his tongue past the tight ring of muscle wiggling the wet muscle before pulling back out and flicking it around the rim, teasing at his hole. 

“You’re driving me crazy,” Cas groaned as Dean scraped his teeth over his sensitive rim.

“Is that so?” Dean placed a kiss to his fluttering pucker. “Tell me what you want.”

“You, Dean,” Cas pleaded. “God, Dean, I want you. I want you inside of me, please.”

Dean pushed up on his knees grabbed the lube off the bedside table coating his fingers in it before tossing it on the bed beside them. He ran his fingers along Castiel's crack before pressing one in.

He took his time prepping Castiel watching the pleasured expressions on his lover’s beautiful face as he added another finger, pushed in deeper, or rubbed that erotic spot that made Castiel melt into the mattress. 

When the hard throb between his legs became too much to ignore Dean grabbed the bottle of lube and slicked up his cock. He positioned himself and slowly slid within Cas’ tight heat. Castiel threw his head back moaning and writhing as he wrapped his legs around Dean drawing him in deeper. He bottomed out with a low groan.

Dean rocked into Castiel panting against his shoulder. “Fuck Cas, so good. You feel amazing.” He snapped his hips forward over and over changing the angle searching for that spot that would make his lover’s body sing from pure bliss.

He knew the moment he found it when Castiel cried out, “Oh,God! Dean! Yes, yes!” And dug his fingernails into Dean’s shoulders.

Dean dropped his head on Cas’ shoulder and panted hotly into his ear as he pounded into him. Reaching in between them, he wrapped his hand around Castiel's cock pumping his fist in time with the snap of his hips. “God, Dean, almost, don't stop, don't stop.” Cas cried out as his shook beneath Dean spilling his release between their sweat soaked bodies as his orgasm wracked him.

“Fuck, Cas,” Dean groaned as he stilled inside Castiel pumping his welcoming body full of his seed. Dean gently pulled out and dropped down on the bed beside Castiel. “That was amazing Cas, your amazing.” Dean panted breathlessly.

Castiel rose up on his elbow and smirked at him. “Not a bad way to ring in the New Year, huh?”

Dean pulled him into a kiss. “I honestly couldn't think of a better way. Happy New Year, Sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23489718)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya next Thursday! :)


	14. Whoops... Slip, Sliding Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I just wanted to let you you all know that I'm going to be posting bi-weekly for a while. I will still be posting on Thursdays it's just going to be every other week. I signed up for a challenge and need to make sure I get it completed by the deadline. Between Crossroads, the challenge, and everyday life stuff I figured it was best to do it this way instead of trying to put a chapter out every week and either rushing the fic or not being able to finish and post. This way I will be able to complete the challenge, not rush on Crossroads and get a good quality chapter out every other Thursday. And once I get the fic completed for the challenge I will go back to weekly posting. Thanks for Understanding! 
> 
> I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl for betaing and ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter.
> 
> Thanks to ZephyrChrysalis for providing graphics for this chapter
> 
> Also the texts that Dean and Rufus sent are in the end notes for those who read on devices that do not display graphics and not to mention the links to my artists pages are in the end notes as well. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made and give them thanks! :)
> 
> Happy Reading Guys!!

* * *

Dean sank into the booth of their favorite little diner. It was the perfect spot for lunch. He gazed out the window watching a group of people ice skating at the rink across the street. He gave a small laugh under his breath, remembering the first and last time he’d gone ice skating…

Sam had been ten, maybe eleven, and even as a preteen he was verging on being freakishly tall. He’d been so excited as he laced up his skates on the side of the rink, bouncing his legs impatiently as he waited for Dean to get his own skates on. When Dean declared they were ready for the ice, Sam had nearly fallen off the bench in his haste to get to the door. 

Then, one step onto the ice and Sam went down. Legs and arms a tangled mess as he fumbled to get his lanky ass back up onto his feet. He’d been frozen and bruised and _ecstatic_ when they left the rink six hours later, proclaiming Dean was the ‘best big brother ever!’ as they climbed into the backseat of the Impala for John to take them home. Dean chuckled again at the memory and looked up to see Cas smiling at him.

“What?” he asked, picking up his food and Cas just grinned. 

“Let's go ice skating.”

Dean choked on the bite of sausage he’d just taken. “Excuse me?” he wheezed. “Let's go what now?”

“Ice skating,” Castiel repeated pointing at the rink. “You’ve been watching the rink for a while now.”

“I don't know, Cas,” Dean said as he eyed the rink warily and then looked back to see Cas had finished his food already. He shrugged sheepishly, embarrassed he’d ignored Cas throughout their meal. “If God wanted us out on the ice like that he would have given us penguin feet.”

“Have you ever been?” Castiel asked, cocking his head to the side. 

“Yeah,” Dean said slowly, locking eyes with his boyfriend, “Once. Haven’t been since I was fourteen and even then, I wouldn’t call what I did skating. It was mostly holding onto my brother and the both of us praying we could stay upright for longer than three minutes.” He paused and added, “Skating was more Sammy’s thing. He kept at it and even played ice hockey in high school, it was amazing that he could fit his freakishly tall frame into the net as a goalie.”

“C'mon, it'll be fun.” Cas snorted as he reached over and nudged his shoulder playfully, “I can teach you. I have been going ice skating every year since I was seven.”

Dean chewed on his bottom lip and put the sausage back down on the plate. “I don't know, Cas.”

“Please?” Cas stuck out his bottom lip and batted his eyelashes.

Dean groaned, losing the battle of not looking at Cas pouting. “Don't look at me like that, Cas! You know I can't say ‘no’ to you when you give me that look.” One more glance and Dean tossed the tip onto the table and sighed as he grabbed the bill. “Let me pay and we’ll go skating. Just for you, Sweetheart.”

Castiel lunged across the table and planted a kiss on Dean's check. “Thank you, Dean.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dean grumbled as he got up and walked to the counter.

Across at the rink, Castiel payed the twenty dollars for skate rentals and led Dean over to a bench to switch out their shoes for skates. Before Dean had even finished lacing his, Castiel was already on the ice making laps around the rink. 

Dean stood up and wobbled, his legs shaking as he tried to stay upright. Castiel coasted over effortlessly and stood by the rails, waiting on Dean to step on the ice. 

"I'm gonna break my ankle,” Dean grumbled, as he continued his slow trek to the rink from the bench, struggling to keep his balance. 

"No, you won't, Dean. You can do this Babe! You just need a little practice,” Castiel encouraged as he held out his hand for Dean.

As soon as Dean’s feet touched the ice, he lost his balance and pitched forward, over correcting himself and then landing flat on his ass. Dean groaned, “Strike that previous comment. It's my ass, I'm _totally_ going to break my ass before this is over.” 

“Come on Bambi,” Castiel swallowed back a laugh and outstretched his hand. “Let's try again.”

Dean scowled as Castiel pulled him to his feet. He immediately lurched forward again. Castiel's arms shot out, catching and straightening him before he wrapped his arm around Dean’s waist for more support. “Easy, don't want you to fall again. Let's practice by the rail, okay?” 

Dean nodded and Castiel led a wobbly Dean towards the rail.

For the first hour Dean clung to the rail with one hand while the other tightly gripped Cas’ hand. As time went on Dean began to feel more secure in his movements, copying what Castiel was showing him. The first time Dean let go of the rail, he started to fall backwards. Immediately he shut his eyes and braced himself for impact. But before he hit the ice, he felt warm arms around his waist and hot breath by his ear, “I’m right here, I won't let you fall.” 

Cas straightened Dean up once again and encouraged him to keep going.

After a few more laps around the rink, Castiel talked Dean into trying a lap without clutching the rail. Dean held Cas’ hands tightly in his own as he took his first trial lap around the rink without the rail’s support.

Eventually, Dean became more comfortable on the ice. “I'm going to let go now, Dean. You ready for that?” 

Dean nodded, trying not to show that he was nervous. “Yeah, Cas, I want to give it a try on my own.” Castiel grinned and dropped his hands, watching as Dean pushed forward on his own. “I'm doing it,” Dean said proudly with a huge grin.

No sooner had those words left Dean's mouth his right ankle rolled outward and he pitched forward, hard on the ice, landing on his hands and knees. With the wind knocked out of him, he took a deep, shaky breath and turned to sit on his ass. He looked down at his palms; they were bleeding and covered in small cuts and scrapes. His knees burned and were no doubt raw and bloody from the denim rubbing them harshly when he landed. But it was the sharp throbbing pain in his right ankle that hurt the worst, even more so than his pride.

Castiel dropped to his knees beside him. “Dean, oh, my God, Dean! Are you okay?” Castiel rushed out in a panic.

Dean looked at him his eyes shining with unshed tears. Damn, his ankle hurt. “I think I may have really broken my ankle.” Nervous laughter bubbled from his throat.

“Which one?” Castiel asked as he reached forward.

“The right one,” Dean hissed as he tried to move it.

Castiel unlaced the skate and removed it along with Dean’s sock to take a look. Castiel grimaced. “It's swollen and already turning purple,” Castiel looked up at Dean, “I need to get you to the hospital. We need to get that x-rayed.” He gingerly touched it and cringed as Dean let out a hiss. “Maybe it’s just sprained?” 

Dean groaned and nodded in agreement. Castiel stood up and pulled Dean up, putting all his weight on him as he led them off the ice.

At the hospital Dean was sulking as he waited for the results of his x-ray. Castiel came back into the room with two cups of coffee and a slice of cherry pie from the cafeteria. He sat down in the chair by the bed and handed Dean a coffee and the pie. “Here.” 

Dean wrapped his fingers around the cup, wrinkling his nose as the warmth spread across his scraped up hands and reminded him they were still there. He sighed and pushed the cup onto the table, reaching for the ice pack that was in his lap and laying both his palms on it. “Thanks,” he mumbled broodingly. He couldn’t even hold a coffee cup like a normal person...

“I'm so sorry, Dean.” Castiel shook his head. “I should not have made you feel like you had to take me skating.” 

Dean looked up from where he had been picking at his pie with his right hand. “You didn't make me feel like I had to, Cas. I _wanted_ to.” Castiel looked at him disbelievingly and Dean reached over and took his hand before continuing, “You looked amazing out on the ice, skating so gracefully with your arms spread wide. You looked like you were flying.” A small smile spread across Dean’s lips. “And I would wipe out a million times just for the chance to see you like that again.”

Castiel met Dean's eyes, giving him a sad smile. “I still feel like this is my fault. You could have a fractured bone or at the very least some form of sprained ankle.”

Dean opened his mouth to try and reassure Castiel again that it wasn't his fault but before he could speak, a sharp knock sounded on the door followed by Dr. McMillan, who ordered the x-rays, entering the room and holding Dean's chart. He glanced up from the pages and smiled. “Good news, Mr. Winchester. I just came from looking at your x-rays nothing appears to be fractured or broken. By the looks of it you have a grade two sprain and some partial tearing of a few ligaments from your fall.” 

Dean nodded. “Okay, Doc, so the nurse wraps it and I'm good to go, right?”

Dr. McMillan shook his head. “There's more to it than that, Mr. Winchester.” He sat in the chair opposite Castiel on the other side of the bed and gathered some papers from within the chart. “A grade one sprain, a minor strain with no tearing, is the kind you would just need to wrap. You have a grade two which means there is a partial tear in one or more of your ligaments. So it requires more care.”

He passed Dean a small stack of papers. “You will need to follow the R.I.C.E. guidelines.”

“What's that?” Castiel asked as he leaned closer to Dean to look at the paperwork now spread out in his lap.

Dr. McMillan gave Castiel a small smile and explained, “It's the treatment for soft tissue injuries, such as a sprain, strain, or minor bone injury.

“ **R** stands for ‘rest’. Rest your ankle by not walking on it, limit weight bearing. Use crutches and an air cast boot to add stability while the ligaments are healing.

“ **I** is for ‘ice’. Ice your entire ankle to keep down the swelling. But be careful not to put ice directly on your skin. You can use a washcloth to wrap a baggie of ice before placing it on your ankle. And don't ice for more than twenty minutes at a time to avoid frostbite.

“ **C** is compression which will also help control the swelling as well as help immobilize and support your injury. One of the nurses will show you how to properly wrap your ankle with an ACE and I have PT coming up to fit you an air cast. 

“And lastly, **E** stands for elevation. Elevate your foot as much as possible by reclining and propping it up above the waist or heart as needed.”

Dean shifted on the bed, glancing down at his bruised ankle. “Anything else I need to know?”

The doctor nodded, “Always use the boot and crutches when you move about your house, at least for the first few days. After that you can try just the boot. Once the swelling has completely gone down, you can try without the boot and apply minor pressure, just make sure it's wrapped in an ace bandage. If any swelling returns, go back to step one and make sure you’re icing and elevating as much as possible.”

The doctor pulled out his prescription pad and began to scribble as he talked, “I'm going to write you a prescription for naproxen. Take it twice daily for pain and swelling for the next seven days, and one for a triple antibiotic ointment to apply to your palms and knees three times a day.” He ripped them out of the pad and handed it to Dean before he started to write again. “I'm also writing you an excuse from work for the next week. There's no way that you can work on that ankle, you need to rest and recover.” Dean huffed and the doctor looked up at him. “Following these instructions are key to a quick, proper recovery.”

Castiel placed his hand on Dean’s. “I will make sure he follows them, Doctor. I'm going to be staying with him for the week.”

Dean looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. “You are?”

Cas nodded. “Yes, it's my fault you're hurt so I'm going to take care of you.”

Dean gave Castiel's hand a gentle squeeze. “For the last time, it's not your fault.” He gave Cas a playful smirk. “But I'm not going to say no to you staying with me a whole week and taking care of me.”

The doctor shut Dean’s chart and stood up. “You seem to be in good hands, Mr. Winchester. I will have the nurse and PT come in with your crutches, boot, and discharge papers.” He opened the door and looked over his shoulder. “If you have any complications, increase or change in pain, or any concerns at all, please come back or call. Good evening, gentleman.” The door shut behind him as he left the room.

“Thank God it’s just a sprain,” Dean sighed before he leaned back into the pillows. It was silent for a moment and Dean turned his head to look over at Cas. He contemplated, just for a second, before he spoke. “I remember back when I was around seventeen, Bobby got injured at the garage.”

Castiel held his breath. Dean was loving and caring, but it was rare for him to open up about his family. Something warm made it’s way through Castiel’s stomach and he leaned forward to gently take Dean’s hand in his own, waiting for him to continue. 

“A, uhh, a car slipped off the jack. Still don’t know how it happened but Bobby was underneath. It crushed him, had fractures in both his legs. He was in a wheelchair for, God, three months at least. And that was just when he could officially start bearing weight. The house had to be wheelchair accessible for over a year. He hated every minute of it… and here I had thought he was an ornery bastard before.” 

Castiel squeezed his hand and Dean huffed a small laugh, shaking his head. “The man was hell to take care of, but he was family and me and Sammy would do anything for him. So I took care of the garage and looked after the old coot while Sam went to school. I stayed on at the garage even after he made a full recovery.” He looked over at Cas. “You really going to stay with me all week?”

Castiel nodded. “I sure am.”

“Will you make me whatever I want for dinner every night?” and as an afterthought Dean added, “Pie, will you make me pie, too?”

Castiel laughed as he leaned forward placing a kiss to Dean’s cheek. “Yes, whatever you want.”

Dean smirked. “What about daily blowjobs?”

Castiel ran his hand through Dean's hair. “Oh, that's a given, Baby.”

Castiel had spent the past seven days with Dean, taking care of both him and everything around the apartment as his ankle healed. He’d even called into school and used some of his vacation days so he would be there for Dean day and night. Cain was more than happy to give him the time off seeing as Cas had never once taken a vacation since he had started working there. Despite Dean being able to walk just fine for the past two days, Cas was still staying with him, and Dean found himself _really_ not wanting Castiel to leave. 

He’d given Cas the spare key to his apartment the afternoon they’d returned from the hospital. The smile on Cas’ face and how he gave Dean a spare key to his apartment, without so much as a second thought made Dean think that Cas didn't want it to go back to just weekends either. It was nice having Castiel around all the time. It was nice going to bed with him every night and waking up with him in his arms every day.

Today, both of them were finally returning to work and Dean had snuck out of bed to make breakfast. Snow fell heavily outside as he turned on the radio and walked over to the refrigerator to pull out a pack of bacon and the carton eggs. He was humming along with the radio as he fried the bacon. 

The song he was listening to was interrupted with a list of school closings and Lawrence Elementary was the first one named. His phone chirped as the announcer continued naming off the rest of the school closings. Dean turned to get his phone off the bar and saw there was a text from Rufus. Dean smiled as he read it.

“Snow day!” Dean exclaimed to the empty kitchen. 

He finished making breakfast and plated it. He put both plates on a tray along with two glasses of OJ and started towards the bedroom. Breakfast in bed, that's a good way to thank Cas for the past week.

“Wake up, Sweetheart,” Dean whispered as he walked into the bedroom.

Castiel groaned and rolled over, cracking open one eye. He rubbed his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows when he saw Dean standing there holding a tray filled with food. “What's all this?” he asked with a sleepy smile.

“Breakfast in bed,” Dean returned the smile as he placed the tray on the bedside table and crawled back in bed with Castiel. “I wanted to say thanks for the past week.”

“There was no need to go through the trouble, Dean.” Castiel pushed himself up into a sitting position. “Truth be told, I have enjoyed staying with you.”

“I have _really_ enjoyed it too.” Dean placed the large double tray across their laps and leaned over to give Cas a kiss on the cheek. “I like waking up to you in my bed every morning.”

“I like that too.” Castiel plucked a piece of bacon off his plate. “I don't wanna go to school and I don't want you to go to work today,” he muttered sullenly.

Dean flashed him a smile. “Well, we don't gotta, Cas.”

Castiel furrowed his brows. “What do you mean? We can't call in, Dean, not after being off for an entire week.”

Dean smirked as he chomped on his toast. “Snow day. Rufus texted me and said the garage is closed and the radio said no school for you either. You know what that means?”

Castiel hummed. “That we can eat and go back to sleep?”

Dean snorted and bumped his shoulder. “Nope, try again.”

Cas licked his bottom lip as he looked provocatively at his lover. “Eat and then I fuck you into the mattress?”

“Mmm, I like that idea,” Dean purred, “But I was thinking we play in the snow.”

“Play in the snow?” Castiel parroted. “Aren't we a bit old to be playing in the snow?”

Dean shook his head and took a drink of his orange juice. “You are _never_ too old to play in the snow, Cas.” 

Castiel rolled his eyes and snagged a piece of bacon off Dean’s plate. They ate the rest of their meal in companionable silence and after Castiel finished the last of the bacon, Dean set the tray in the floor by the bed. He rolled over on the bed, pushing up to climb into Castiel’s lap, straddling Cas’ hips and wrapping his arms around his shoulders. “Let's do what you said first though.”

Castiel smirked as he flipped them and loomed over Dean. “Gladly,” he replied as he slipped Dean's shirt over his head and kissed his way down his chest, gripping the waistband of his sweats. Dean raised his pelvis so Castiel could slide his pants and underwear down, pulling them off his body and tossing them onto the floor.

Reaching over to the nightstand, Cas grabbed the bottle of lube and slicked his fingers. He ran his fingers up Dean’s inner thigh, slipping them between his ass cheeks and tapping them against his tight puckered entrance, feeling the tender flesh quiver at his touch. “I'm gonna make you feel so good, Baby,” Castiel promised as the tip of his finger slid into Dean’s hot hole. He began slowly moving his finger in and out, watching as it disappeared into his lover’s body before adding a second, moving them faster. He watched as Dean’s breath quickened, his flushed chest rising and falling with short pants and gasps.

Castiel pushed his fingers in deeper and crooked them, running the pads of his fingers across Dean’s prostate and drawing the most enticing moan from him. As he added a third finger, Dean began to beg.

“Too many clothes, Cas,” he panted out, fingers reaching for the hem of Castiel’s pajama pants. “Off, take them off and fuck me.” Castiel shifted back, Dean whining as the pants slipped from his grasp, and twisted his fingers inside of him. “Fuck, fuck, Cas, _please_.”

After a few more teasing nudges against Dean’s prostate, Castiel removed his fingers and slipped out of his pants. Dean immediately pulled his knees back, spreading them on either side of Castiel and urging him on. 

Positioned between Dean’s legs, Cas slicked up his cock and pushed the blunt head past the tight ring of muscle, sliding in smoothly and bottoming out in one thrust. 

Dean moaned loudly and lewdly as Castiel gripped his hips, grinding down against him in a figure eight motion, the head of his cock a constant pressure against Dean’s prostate that made his back arch off the mattress and his entire body shake and writhe beneath him. Castiel drew back, leaving only the head in before snapping his hips forward and nailing Dean's prostate again.

Dean cursed and clutched at Castiel's ass wanting more, wanting him deeper. His cock throbbed and leaked precum on his stomach as Castiel sped up, fucking Dean harder and faster. 

“Cas, please, please touch me,” Dean begged as he pushed his ass back, taking all Castiel had to give.

Castiel gripped Dean’s rock hard flesh and began to move his hand in tandem with his thrusts. With a few hard strokes of Cas’ hand on his dick while Cas’ cock struck his prostate over and over, Dean let out a loud groan and spurted his seed up his chest. 

Castiel lunged forward and kissed Dean hot and hard, his tongue tracing the roof of Dean's mouth as he continued to race towards his own release. Dean’s channel spasmed as Cas’ cock nudged his over sensitive prostate, bringing Castiel to the brink. With a cry of Dean's name he spilled his release, rocking gently into Dean as he rode out the pleasure.

Sated, Castiel dropped to the bed next to Dean panting, “Fuck, that was amazing.”

“You’re really good at that,” Dean smirked over at him, “I need to bottom more often.”

Castiel hummed and leaned over, nipping Dean’s bottom lip. “I wouldn't be opposed to that.”

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’ waist, pressing up against him for a moment. “Let's get cleaned up and changed into something warm. Daylight’s a-wastin’ and we got snow men to build and snowball wars to be fought.” Dean furrowed his brows in contemplation. “Damn I wish we had a sled... the hill behind the apartment complex looks perfect for sledding.”

Castiel ran his fingers back through Dean’s sweat soaked hair, smiling down at him. “You really want to go play in the snow don't you?”

“Well, yeah, Cas.” Dean nodded, leaning into the touch. “That's what snow days are for.”

“Okay,” Castiel shook his head fondly and sighed. “I have a sled in the basement storage. The family that lived here before me left some things and a sled just happened to be one of them.” 

Castiel untangled himself from Dean and the blanket. He walked naked to the bathroom, cleaning himself up and bringing a warm washcloth back to the bedroom for Dean. While Dean wiped himself down, Castiel dressed in a pair of sweats and a sweater. 

“Let me go get that sled and then we’ll get ready for our snow excursion.”

While Castiel was getting the sled, Dean pulled on his own pair of sweats and padded his way to the kitchen. He quickly threw together a crockpot of homemade chicken noodle soup because there was nothing better than a big bowl of soup after being out in the cold, at least that's what Bobby always told him and Sam.

Cas came back into the apartment carrying a huge, old fashioned, wooden sled with leather reins. He propped it up by the door and walked into the kitchen. “What are you up to?” Castiel asked as he wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist. 

“I made us some of my own special chicken noodle soup.” Dean turned his head and gave Cas a peck on the cheek as he put the lid on the crockpot and set it to high. 

“Mmm, sounds good,” Cas said as he placed a small kiss to Dean's throat. 

“Bobby use to make it for me and Sammy when we’d go out on snow days.” A smile spread across Dean’s face and he leaned back against Castiel’s chest. “He said there wasn’t ‘nothing that would hit the spot and warm your bones like a big ‘ol bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup after spending hours out in the snow’.”

“I have to agree.” Cas playfully swatted Dean on the ass. “Now let's get changed into something warm so we can... _play in the snow_ ,” Castiel said teasingly.

Twenty minutes later they were all bundled up and ready to go. Castiel slipped on his gloves as Dean pulled on his beanie and scarf. Then Cas grabbed the sled and Dean picked up the backpack full of supplies they had gathered to make the perfect snowman and locked up behind them.

Outside, around the back of the apartment complex, a blanket of pure white covered everything and the snow glistened like glitter in the sunlight. Castiel closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The cold, crisp air invaded his senses and burned his lungs. A grin spread across his face as he watched Dean place the snowman supplies down by a tree and run out into the snow, the sound of it crunching under his boots and echoing with each step he took. 

Dean turned around and smiled at Cas. “Don't just stand there! C’mon, we gotta snowman to build!”

Castiel propped the sled up against the tree and walked over as Dean looked for a flat area for the snowman with a nice deep patch of snow to roll out the body. “Here,” Dean said when he found what he deemed the ‘perfect spot.’ 

They got to work. Castiel gathered a handful of snow and packed it tightly in his hands, shaping it into a ball. He bent over, placing the ball on the ground, and started to roll the ball along the snowy patch. As he rolled it the ball picked up more snow and grew larger and larger. 

“That's perfect for the base, Cas,” Dean called out as he rolled out the Snowman's middle section, “Start on the head now.”

Castiel rolled out the head while Dean carried the middle section over and placed it on the base, packing it tightly and balancing it so it won't fall. 

“You got head?” Dean asked, snickering.

Castiel rolled his eyes and picked up the head, holding it for Dean to see. “Yeah, I _got head_.” Cas perched it on the midsection and packed it down. 

Dean started at the head and ran his gloved hands down the snowman, smoothing out the sides. Dean looked up at Cas as he picked up a handful of snow. “Let's pack these layers together.” Dean pressed the snow in between where the base and midsection met, packing it tight and stabilizing it as Castiel gathered snow and did the same for the head and middle.

“Looks good,” Dean smiled as he looked at the finished body. “I'll go get the supplies.” 

While he was retrieving the backpack Cas found a few sticks that were perfect for arms and put them in place. Beside him, Dean rifled through the backpack as he returned, pulling out the carrot with a smirk. “Don't even think about.” Castiel took the carrot from Dean's hand.

“What?” Dean asked innocently.

“Don't you ‘what’ me, Dean Winchester,” Castiel arched an eyebrow. “I know _exactly_ where you were thinking of sticking that carrot.”

“I don't know what you’re talking about,” Dean mumbled as he placed the backpack by the snowman and opened it up again.

Castiel snorted as he placed the carrot in its rightful place. “Sure you don't.”

Dean pulled a hat out and placed it on his head. It was a tall, light brown, wide brimmed hat with a vibrant peach scarf wrapped around the crown. A prominent peacock feather stuck out from one side while 10/6 was sewn onto the other. 

“The perks of dating a kindergarten teacher, he has all kinds of cool crafts around his house.” Dean stood and took the hat off his head, placing it on the snowman instead. “Where did you even get that hat, Cas?”

“It's my Mad Hatter hat.” Castiel smiled and ran the peacock feather between his fingers. “I wore it when I read _Alice in Wonderland_ to my class.”

Dean took Cas’ gloved hand and gave it a squeeze. “I bet all your students just love you, Cas.”

Castiel bent down and pulled the brown checkered scarf out of the backpack. “I’d like to think they do.” He stood back up and wrapped it around the snowman.

“How could they not,” Dean replied with a huge smile as he retrieved a small bag filled with a variety of buttons ranging in size and color. Dean handed Castiel two large black buttons for the eyes while he worked on giving their snowman a rainbow smile with the smaller buttons. 

When all of the buttons were placed, Dean took a step back and pulled Cas with him so they could admire their handy work. “It’s perfect, Cas. It's just missing one thing.”

Castiel furrowed his brows, eyes trailing over the snowman before he looked over at Dean. “What?”

“A name,” Dean smirked, “He needs a name.”

Castiel hummed in contemplation. “How about Mr. Freeze?”

Dean let out a loud laugh. “I like it. Now,” Dean clapped his hands together, “how about we go sledding and let Mr. Freeze _chill_ here.” He elbowed Cas in the side and smirked. “See what I did there?”

“Yes, Dean,” Castiel snorted, “I see how incredibly _corny_ you are.”

They retrieved the sled from the base of the tree and trudged up the hill. Dean slung his arm around Cas’ shoulder. “How d’you wanna do this? You wanna go first or do you want me to?”

Castiel pulled Dean in by the waist and whispered in his ear, “That sled is awfully big, Dean, let’s go down together.”

Dean wiggled his eyebrows lewdly. “You want front or back?”

Cas paused and hummed, thinking it over. “I think I’ll take the back,” he replied as he pinched Dean’s ass.

Dean smirked and plopped down on the sled, scooting as close to the front as he could and winked while he wiggled his ass. “Alright, get on.” 

Cas sat down behind Dean, his legs framing him on either side. He wrapped his arms around Dean's waist, molding his body against Dean's as he whispered hotly in his ear, “Don't wanna fall off.”

Dean groaned as Cas pressed his crotch against Dean's ass. “Babe, as tight as you are holding me, I don't think that's gonna be an issue.” Dean looked over his shoulder. “However, what will be an issue is if you keep rubbing against me like that I'm gonna pop a boner.”

“You mean like this?” Castiel gripped Dean's waist and swiveled his hips against Dean's ass.

“Thank God for all these layers I'm wearing, maybe they’ll help hide the massive erection you're giving me,” Dean snarked as he used his hands to give them that last little push sending them sailing down the hill.

Castiel held onto Dean tighter as the sled picked up speed; his heart was beating hard and fast as he pressed his face into Dean’s shoulder. Dean held the reins tight in his gloved hands as he maneuvered the sled, laughing as the snow swirled up around them. The wind bit at their noses and cheeks, but it was exhilarating. When the sled slowed and came to a stop, Castiel pulled Dean into a kiss, giggling as his lips touched Dean’s. “God! That was fun!”

They climbed off the sled and Dean grumbled, “Now comes the not so fun part, making the trek back up.” He started walking back up dragging the sled behind him. 

They went down the hill three more times. On the third time down Cas took the lead. They were just a little over half way down when he pulled the reins a little too hard to the left and drove them straight into a large snow bank, flipping the sled. They lay in the snow and laughed until their sides hurt and it was hard to breathe in the crisp air. When Dean caught his breath he looked over at Cas. “Want to go again?”

Castiel shook his head as he sat up. “As much fun as going down is, it's a bitch to walk back up after.” He paused a moment and asked, “How’s your ankle doing anyways?”

“It’s good,” Dean reassured him and rolled over so he could stand. “Promise.”

They made their way down the rest of the hill, stopping at Mr. Freeze for the backpack which Dean tossed onto the sled for Cas to drag back around the front of the building. Castiel turned to Dean, a question on his lips, “Hey, are you re-” but his words were immediately cut off as a snowball hit him dead center in the face. 

Dean doubled over laughing. “I got you, Cas! I got you good!”

Castiel sputtered, dropping the reins to the sled. “That was childish, Dean! And I _know_ childish, I'm a kindergarten teacher!” He wiped the snow from his face, shivering at the sudden cold dripping down his chin. “You know, actually some of my students are more mature than you.”

“Awww Babe,” Dean cooed, “Don't be mad.”

Castiel bent over and scooped up some snow and started shaping it into a ball, a look of intense determination on his face. “Oh-ho, I'm not gonna get mad, I'm gonna get even!”

“Oh, fu-” Dean swore as he turned to run.

“Go ahead and run, Dean! I _will_ find you, catch you, and _destroy_ you,” Castiel yelled to Dean's retreating form.

“That's a bit harsh don't you think,” Dean called back over his shoulder. “I have a bum ankle, remember?”

“Just remember, you started this! And you already told me you were fine! So that excuse isn't going to work now Winchester!” Castiel took off in a dead run. “Not to mention all is fair in love and war!”

Dean stumbled behind a large tree and he braced himself against it to catch his breath. He and Cas had been at their little game - which Cas was taking far too seriously in Dean's opinion - for over an hour now. Dean was freezing and soaked to the bone. Castiel had been more than a formidable opponent. In all honesty, he was kicking Dean's ass and he was ready to wave the white flag of surrender.

Too lost in his thoughts Dean didn't hear Cas sneak up on him, but he sure as hell felt the cold ball of snow dropped down the back of his shirt. He jumped and yelped as he tugged at the bottom of his jacket to get the snow free. 

“That was cold, Cas! Oh,” Dean growled, “I am so gonna get you!” He ran after Cas, lunging at him. They tumbled to the ground, rolling around in a mass of tangled limbs and snow. Dean ended up on top of Cas, straddling him. “Told you I'd get you!”

Castiel laughed and smiled up at Dean, his cheeks and nose bright red. “Are you ready to go inside, warm up, and eat a bowl of soup?”

Dean leaned down and kissed Castiel. “Yeah,” he said against his mouth, “I'm freezing my balls off.”

Castiel hummed against Dean's lips, “I can definitely help you warm those up.”

Crowley leaned back on his throne draining the rest of his scotch as he watched the sickeningly sweet scene unfolding between Dean and Castiel in the crystal basin before him. 

“Oh, how domestic,” he crooned, his words dripping with sarcasm. He held out his glass shaking it, waiting for his lackey to refill it. The glass was filled quickly and Crowley took his time sipping from it as he continued to scry the happenings above ground. 

“Dean, Dean, Dean,” he muttered to himself, finally waving away the image before him. He sighed and nodded, telling the lesser demon before him to take the crystal away. “I do believe you were lying to me when you said those pesky feeling weren’t getting in the way.” 

He stared at the wall in contemplation, finishing off his second glass of scotch. He cleared his throat as he placed his goblet down and cracked his fingers. “It looks like I’m going to have to think of a way to get you back on track.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Texts between Rufus & Dean
> 
> **Rufus: Weather is shit. I'm not leaving the house today, shop’s closed.**
> 
> **Rufus: Enjoy your day off.**
> 
> **Dean: You got it boss.**
> 
> **Dean: Thanks.**
> 
> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23014194)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya on Thursday May 25th! :)


	15. If Star Were Meant for Wishing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I just wanted to let you you all know that I'm going to be continuing posting bi-weekly for a while. I will still be posting on Thursdays or Fridays.
> 
> Thanks for Understanding!
> 
> I would like to thank ZephyrChrysalis for Alpha reading this chapter and for providing graphics for this chapter
> 
> Also the texts that Dean and Cas sent are in the end notes for those who read on devices that do not display graphics and not to mention the links to my artists pages are in the end notes as well. Go and check them out! See the pieces they made for this fic and give them thanks! :)
> 
> Happy Reading Guys!!

Over the past week Dean tried to get out of Castiel what he was planning for his birthday, but he wouldn't crack. All he would tell Dean was that he needed to pack a bag, they were going away for the weekend. 

Dean was watching the clock, he was ready to get off work and kick off his birthday weekend with Cas, wherever the hell they were going. “Boy, are you watching that clock?” Dean jumped and turned to see Rufus looking at him with a sly smirk.

“Uh,” Dean rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed at being caught, “no.”

“You are a shitty liar,” Rufus snorted, “Get on outta here. Go enjoy your birthday with that man of yours.”

“Thanks, Boss,” Dean saluted Rufus as he walked towards the door, “see ya first thing Monday,” he called over his shoulder as he walked out of the shop. 

Dean slid into Baby and pulled out his phone to send Cas a quick text.

“Honey, I'm home,” Dean called out as he entered his apartment. He smiled, “That never gets old,” he mumbled as he hung up his jacket. 

“Happy Birthday,” Castiel exclaimed as Dean walked into the living room.

He smiled when he saw Cas standing there holding a handful of colored ribbons that were attached to a bunch of helium balloons, a variety of shapes and sizes that floated above Castiel's head. ‘Happy Birthday’ was emblazoned across all of them in riot of colors and styles. Dean hurried over and caught Cas in a deep nearly bruising kiss as he took the balloons from his hand and pulled them away grinning up at the swath of mylar. “Technically,” he waggled his brows and swept in for another kiss, “it's not my Birthday until tomorrow.”

Castiel smirked, “And I told you,” he returned the kiss, “that we are celebrating your birthday _all_ weekend.” He reached for the light blue envelope on the coffee table and handed it to his lover, “Here.”

“What is this?” Dean asked as he twisted the envelope in his hands.

Castiel rolled his eyes, “Open it,” he smiled as he reached over and tapped the envelope, “and find out.”

Dean tore open the top and pulled out a birthday card. He let out a loud bark of laughter when he saw it. 

On the card were three stick figures with smiling faces. The first a bow with a speech bubble that said ‘I get to be on the pretty presents,’ next to the bow was a piece of cake saying ‘I get to wear frosting,’ and next to the cake was a candle that said ‘I get blown **I WIN**.’ When Dean opened it there was a business card inside, he held it in his hand as he read, “ _Happy Birthday! Can I blow your candle_?”

Dean smirked at him, “Hell, yes you can.” He then looked down at the business card. “ _Circle S Ranch_ , what's this?”

“It's a Ranch style Bed & Breakfast and it's also where we are going to be staying for the weekend.” Castiel glanced at his watch, “And we can check in anytime?”

Dean smiled down at the card and then looked at Cas. “What are we waiting for then? Let's get going.”

It took thirty minutes to reach the inn. Dean drove down the country road to the arched entrance of the ranch, the driveway was nearly a half-mile long, ending as they came over the hill and saw the snow dusted valley. The inn sat at a slight angle facing a path that led to the prairie garden, and even covered in snow it was beautiful. Dean couldn't imagine what this place looked like in the spring when everything was blooming with new life.

After parking, they grabbed their bags and followed the rustic path covered by several branched archways. The inn resembled an old Kansas barn, complete with lean to and an attached silo. As they walked along the path Castiel looked over at his lover. “You know, they say the woman who runs this place is a psychic.”

Dean arched an eyebrow and gave Cas a skeptical look. “Do you believe in all that stuff?”

Castiel shrugged, “If you would’ve asked me four months ago I would have said no, but now…” he trailed off.

“Now what?”

“Now,” Castiel shrugged again, “I have a more open mind.”

They stepped up onto the homey porch and and were welcomed by a friendly wooden sign by the door that boasted in chalk.

Dean reached out for the door but stopped and turned to Cas. “Do we knock or just go on in?”

“She told me on the phone to just come on in. That she would know when we got here,” Castiel replied as he opened the door and stepped inside. Dean shrugged and followed shutting the door behind them.

On the inside the interior was built from the wood of stripped logs. The floor was a mixture of wooden planks and concrete formed to look like old stone. All the wood flooring had that rich mellow color of old pine that only came from being well-worn and well-loved. 

As they walked further into the inn, they passed a small sitting room that held two wood and leather love seats with contrasting floral cushions and matching throw pillows. They were separated by an old steamer trunk standing in as a coffee table and were anchored by a large blue wool rug that warmed up the stone floor. But what really drew Dean’s eye to this room was the old record player perched on a round wooden side table in the corner of the room.

As soon as they stepped foot into the great room there was an older dark-skinned woman standing there smiling at them warmly. She walked up and extended her hand to Cas, “Hello, Castiel, I'm Missouri Mosley, it was a pleasure speaking to you on the phone.” Cas’ eyes widened as he shook her hand. She just laughed it off and turned to Dean. “Hello, Dean, I’m very happy you will be spending your birthday here at _Circle S_. I have already spoken with our house cook, Ellen, and she is baking you an apple pie for tomorrow. That is your favorite, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Dean nodded dumbfoundedly before he cleared his throat. “I love apple, but there's no need to go through the trouble.”

“Oh, Honey it's no trouble at all,” She flicked her wrist waving off his concerns. “Anything to make your thirty-fourth memorable.”

Dean smiled and tried to hide his surprise, “Thank you.”

“One second, Boys, let me get that.” Dean opened his mouth to ask ‘get what’ but was cut off by the phone ringing. She gave them a smile before turning and walking over to the phone hanging on the wall by the sliding glass doors.

Dean rounded on Cas, “Did you tell her all that? My age, my favorite pie? And how did she know who was who? You hadn't said a word! How did she know? And the phone...” Dean trailed off shaking his head.

Castiel shrugged, “I have no idea how she knew who was who and I swear I didn't tell her anything about you. I didn't even mention it being your birthday when I booked the stay.”

“Alrighty,” Missouri clapped her hands and rubbed them together startling Dean and Cas. Let me give you boys a little tour and show you to your room so you can get settled.” She spread her arms wide, “This is the great room. As you can see, it's a mixture between a dining and living room.” 

A large rectangular table that could seat up to twenty dominated the corner in front front of the sliding glass doors. The large room was divided by a double fireplace. The living room side was neatly designated by a floral print wool rug topped by a matching loveseat and sofa faced by two rocking chairs. An oversized coffee table in the middle. 

“Over here,” Missouri walked to a door just off of the great room, “is the entrance to the silo.” She opened the door revealing a spiral staircase and a small hallway that led to a single room. “If you take the hallway to the door at the end that's where the eight person hot tub is and if you take the stairs it leads to your room. “There's only one room on the third floor.” She gave them a sly smirk, “So you don't have to worry about a noise complaint.” Missouri laughed as Dean and Castiel both started to blush. “I'll let you boys getting settled in, breakfast is at seven o'clock and there is a book in your room that lists all the restaurants around and which ones deliver.”

“Thank you,” Dean and Castiel said in tandem as she turned to leave.

She tossed them a smile over her shoulder, “You boys just come and find me if you need anything.”

Dean stood in front of the door to their room and read the plaque _Celestial Room_. He smirked at Castiel as he opened the door. His smirk turned into a huge grin as he stepped into the room and dropped his duffel bag by the door. “Wow,” he whispered as he looked around.

The suite was rustic but soothing. Cas hung his coat on the coat rack as he looked around. straight ahead was a large squared-off bay window with a built in window seat. It had several pillows and a curly wool blanket making it perfect for stargazing on. 

“Isn’t this nice,” Cas gushed as Dean came in behind him.

Dean dropped his bag by the coat rack as he stripped out of his heavy shearling coat. “Nice is kinda an understatement.” He strode over to the bed and sat down to test it. “Look at this barn wood!” He got up and ran his hand over the rough wood that backed up the bed, “I love this!”

Cas grinned as he put his bag down under the small table that was in front of the fireplace. “The pictures just don’t do this room justice, huh?”

Dean shrugged and shook his head, “Well, I didn’t see the pictures, seeing how all this was one big surprise.” He walked over to the window seat, “but this is great!”

“I’m really glad you like it.” Cas joined him on the window bench, and let out a long slow sigh as he looked around, “I really like it too.” He turned to Dean, “And that bed…”

“Oh,” Dean’s grinned, “can’t wait to break in that baby!” 

Cas stood with a clap of his hands as Dean walked toward one of the doors, “Let’s get unpacked. Sooner we do that, the faster the fun starts!”

“Hey, Cas! Wait ‘til you see the bathroom!” He peeked his head back out of the door next to the bed, “There’s a whirlpool tub, and,” he waggled his brows, “it’s big enough for two!”

Cas peeked around the door, “Oh, we will definitely be using that.”

Castiel walked over and wrapped his arms around Dean taking in the room. The dark cherry wood floors contrasted richly with the pristine white walls. A second small fireplace was to the left of the tub with a separate shower beside it. Castiel pulled Dean into a kiss. “Mmm, we will definitely put it to good use.” Castiel met Dean's eyes. “Do you like this? Is it an okay birthday gift?”

Dean smiled and hugged Cas tightly, kissing him on the forehead. “Are you kidding me? This Cas, this is the best birthday present I have ever gotten.”

“I'm glad.” Castiel took his hand, “Now, come on, let's unpack and look at the menus.”

An hour later they were sitting on the plush window seat - deciding to forgo the table for the comfort of the bedded bay window – and eating Chinese food and talking. “Tell me something no one knows about you Cas.”

His lover hummed and furrowed his brows, deep in thought. “I have this recurring dream, I have had it since… well, as long as I can remember. I'm flying and not in a plane. I have these large black wings and I'm going higher and higher and just when it feels like I'm almost to my destination I wake up.” Castiel twirled his lo mein around his fork, “What about you? What's something no one knows about Dean Winchester?

Dean smirked shyly, “I have always loved singing, ever since I was little, and when I got into highschool I promised myself that ‘one day I'm going to sing at a bar’.” He shook his head with a glint in his eye, “You know, to feel that rush of adrenaline being in front of a crowd just once, but I never got over my nervousness.”

Castiel smiled, “You should do it! Your voice is beautiful.”

Dean laughed and pointed his fork at Cas, “You're my boyfriend, you have to say that.”

“Even if I wasn't your boyfriend,” Castiel protested, “I would still think your voice is beautiful.”

Dean bumped his shoulder against him, “Thanks, Cas.”

Castiel threw away their takeout containers and when he walked back into the room Dean was laying on the cowhide covered padded window seat gazing out of the the large window looking up at the stars. He smiled at Cas and patted the spot next to him. “Hey, Teach, come stargaze with me. Show me the constellations.” 

Castiel grinned and crawled into bed lying down beside him. He pointed up to the winter sky. “That one’s the Big Dipper.” He took Dean’s hand in his and raised it back up using Dean's fingers to trace Perseus and Orion.

As he traced the constellation Orion he looked over at Dean. “Do you know the story of Orion?”

Dean shook his head, “No, tell it to me, Teach.”

Castiel dropped their joined hands on the bed between them, his thumb rubbing circles over the back of Dean's hand. He laid his head against Dean's as they looked up at the stars. 

“Well, the story starts with this poor shepherd, Irideus, and he’d provided hospitality to Zeus and Poseidon but he didn’t know that they were Gods. As a reward, they gifted him with the infant Orion. And he grew into a great hunter, that’s his other name, The Hunter.” Castiel looked over at Dean. “He fell in love with Artemis, the Moon Goddess, and her brother, Apollo, became upset with her as she spent more and more time with Orion.”

Castiel looked back up at the night's sky. “You see, it was her job to guide the moon across the sky and she began to neglect her duty. So Apollo convinced Gaia, better known as Mother Earth, that Orion and Artemis were killing too many animals, so in retaliation Gaia sent Scorpius, ‘the scorpion’, to deal with Orion. Scorpius and Orion had a great battle but in the end they killed each other. So Zeus placed Orion in the winter sky and Scorpius in the summer sky so they would never see each other again and thus not be able to fight.”

Dean smiled over at Castiel as he whispered, “Do you know any other stories behind the constellations?”

Castiel nodded and pointed up at a cluster of stars, “That's Cassiopeia,” Dean cuddled into Cas’ side and listened to him tell the stories of the God and Goddesses that reigned in the night's sky.

“Make love to me under the stars,” Dean rasped into Cas’ ear after he finished the tale of Perseus and how he slayed the Gorgon, Medusa. 

Castiel's eyes widened, “With the blinds up where anyone out there could see?”

Dean laughed and ran his fingers down his lover’s cheek. “Yes, Sweetheart with the blinds open. I highly doubt anyone is out there in the cold this late at night… but if there is, they will get one hell of a show.” Dean waggled his eyebrows, “Now get the lube out of your bag and make love to me.”

Castiel grinned as he scrambled off the bed and got the tube out of his suitcase. He tossed it onto the bed and rid himself of his clothes before slowly and methodically stripping Dean, kissing every inch of skin as it was exposed to him, until he reached his lips. Cas leaned down and kissed Dean softly, his lips gently pressing against his lover’s.

“Please, Cas,” Dean moaned as his fingers clutched in Castiel's hair. 

Cas reached for the lube and wet his fingers, slipping them between Dean’s ass cheeks. Dean groaned in relief, when one of Castiel’s fingers pressed inside of him. Dean rocked down on Cas’ finger taking it into his body, wanting, “more, Cas, please, more.” Castiel pushed in another finger, the slight burn caused Dean’s breath to hitch and his cock to twitch and drip precome onto his stomach.

Cas licked his lips at the sight of Dean’s hard leaking cock. He slipped in a third finger and pushed in deep striking Dean's prostate. “Cas, I want you, please, please, take me.” Castiel lubed his cock and slid into Dean slowly, making them both quiver. Wrapping his arms around his lover, Dean pulled him down, his tongue wantonly delving into Cas’ mouth. He shivered as Castiel's hands ran over every inch of his body that they could reach. 

Dean’s head dropped down on the pillow looking up at the twinkling stars shining so brightly in the night's sky as Castiel languidly rocked in and out of him. But the beauty of the galaxy couldn't hold a candle to the allure of the look of pure bliss on his lover’s face, a look that was put there by him.

Dean ran his hand through Castiel's hair and smiled up at him. The look Cas gave him in return was one of adoration, tenderness, devotion, and that four letter word that scared the hell out of him. Dean let his eyes slip closed and he allowed himself to just _feel_. Feel Castiel  
thrusting in and out of him, his pace increasing along with their desire. The sound of skin slapping against skin filling the room, mixing with moans and groans. 

He arched off the bed when Castiel's cock firmly hit his prostate over and over. Every nerve ending tingled, his body felt electric as Cas continued to thrust into him. A litany of curse words and praises fell from his lips and he ran his nails down Castiel's back.

Cas reached between them and took Dean in hand, fisting his cock. He was so on edge it only took a couple hard strokes and Dean was coming hard, painting his stomach and chest as he cried out Cas’ name. Castiel followed a few thrusts after spilling his release into Dean with a low groan of his name. He slipped free and lay down beside Dean. As they came down from their high, Dean pulled Cas in cuddling up to him as they lay there and stared up at the sky filled with stars that seemed to be shining extra bright just for them tonight. Warm and sated he began to drift off. 

“Dean,” Cas whispered by his ear. “Come on, Love, let’s get cleaned up and move over to the big bed.”

“Don’t wanna,” Dean grumbled like a petulant child.

Castiel snorted as he pulled free from Dean’s hold and stood up, holding his hand out for Dean to take. “I promise it will be more comfortable.” Cas coaxed as he wiggled his fingers. Dean sighed taking his hand allowing himself to be pulled up and off of the cozy window seat and led into the bathroom to clean up.

“See, told you,” Cas whispered in his ear as they cuddled up in the big soft bed. “Much more comfortable.” Dean kissed him on the forehead, giving him a lazy smile and a mumbled agreement before drifting off.

Dean stretched as sunshine streamed in through the blinds and spread long, thin strips over the bed. His muscles were loose and languid from their night of love making. He cracked his eyes open and blearily looked down Cas nestled into his chest and then at his watch, it was only six and entirely too early to get out of this bed after the _amazing_ night they had. Besides, Missouri told them yesterday that breakfast didn't start until seven. He let his eyes drift shut with the plan of getting at least thirty more minutes of shut eye.

Dean sniffed and buried his face into the pillow when he felt warm wet kisses being placed along his throat. He made a small whine of protest, because if Cas was awake there was no way in hell he would be going back to sleep. Dean squirmed and Castiel tightened his hold on him. 

"Don't get up just yet," Castiel's gravelly sleep heavy voice growled in his ear. "I have a birthday present for you.”

Dean smiled, and he settled, letting Castiel skate his fingers up and down his side, leaving goosebumps in their wake. 

“Is that so?” Dean cooed in a husky voice. Castiel nodded and nuzzled into his neck, biting and sucking marks into the tender flesh where Dean’s neck meets his shoulder. Dean hissed as Castiel bit down harder making his cock thicken in interest. “And what might that present be?”

Castiel hummed as he kissed down Dean’s torso, “A Happy Birthday blowjob.”

Dean groaned as Castiel dipped his tongue into his navel. “I can definitely get on board with that.”

Castiel maneuvered himself between Dean's legs and gripped his hot hard flesh before dipping down and taking Dean into his mouth. When Castiel's tongue began to massage Dean’s shaft he groaned and gripped Castiel's hair shallowly thrusting up. The hot slide of Cas’ mouth against him made his cock twitch and leak precome freely, the salty taste exploding on Castiel's taste buds.

Castiel's tongue swirled sinfully around the head of his cock and traced the vein along the underside before swallowing him down in one go. “Fuck Cas,” Dean panted as his hips bucked up, the head of his cock bumping the back of Castiel's throat.

Cas slid his finger into his mouth alongside Dean's cock, getting it dripping wet. He continued the rhythmic bobbing as he worked his finger lower and between Dean’s ass cheeks teasingly stroking it over his entrance before slipping into the first knuckle. “Keep going, fuck Cas, don't stop.” Dean groaned as he pushed up into Castiel's hot mouth and back onto the finger taking all of it wiggling to find that spot inside him, crying out when Castiel's finger danced over it. “Right there, oh, God, right there.” Dean clutched the back of Cas’ head and writhed beneath him as Castiel relentlessly stroked his prostate as he sucked his cock hard and fast. “I'm coming Cas, fuck I'm coming.”

Castiel moaned as Dean’s thick cock throbbed and his mouth was flooded with spurts of come. He swallowed it all down and slid his lips free from his softening shaft, a string of come dripped down his chin. “Happy Birthday, Dean.”

Dean moaned, pulling his lover into his arms to lick the trail of come up to Cas’ lips before crashing them together and sighing against them. “Birthday blowjobs rock.”

“Let's shower and go eat breakfast.” Castiel gave Dean a gentle peck on the lips. “Because I got plans in store for you today.” He climbed out of bed and reached down to pull Dean up with him. 

Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel's waist, pressed up against his bare back and whispered in his ear as they walked to the bathroom. “I can't wait.”

When they walked into the Great Room the dining area boasted a long buffet table was filled with a large variety of breakfast foods. Dean's eyes scanned it taking in the biscuits, gravy, bacon, country style ham, sausage links, scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, toast, jams and jellies, pancakes, waffles, syrups, whipped cream, fresh fruits, and homemade cinnamon rolls. 

There were a few other couples seated at the long wooden table with Missouri. She waved at them as they each picked up a plate and started to fill it with a variety of the breakfast foods. After their plates were piled high they sat side by side across from Missouri. She smiled brightly at Dean, “Happy Birthday.”

He returned her smile, “Thank you.”

She turned to Castiel, “Garth, our stable hand, will be ready to take you boys on your ride at two.”

Dean grinned at Cas, “You booked us a guided horseback ride?”

Castiel nodded, “Surprise.”

“That's awesome Cas,” Dean squeezed his hand under the table, “I can't wait.”

Missouri hummed across the table. “To bad we don't offer night rides, the stars are beautiful at night.” She gave Dean and Castiel a small smirk. “They were especially beautiful last night. Did you boys see them?” Castiel's eyes widened and Dean choked on the drink of orange juice he had just taken. Missouri just winked at them and turned to talk to the couple next to her.

“How did she know?” Dean hissed.

Castiel shrugged, “Maybe she _really_ is psychic.”

After they finished breakfast they went back to their suite. Dean pulled Cas into his arms, “We still got a while before we go horseback riding. I think I'm gonna try that tub out, you wanna join me?”

Castiel nipped at Dean's bottom lip and he pulled him into the bathroom. “You know I do.”

The tub was steaming and the room smelled like lavender. Castiel lowered himself into the water with a pleased groan, spreading his legs to make room for Dean. 

Dean sunk into the bubble-filled bathtub. He hissed as the scalding-hot water lapped against his bare skin. He settled between the V of Cas’ legs, and relaxed against his chest. Castiel smiled and wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist and peppered his shoulder with kisses. 

Dean sighed as Cas’ wet slender fingers gently started carding through his hair massaging his scalp. Dean let out a soft sigh, it felt so good. He melted into Castiel's touch when his hands dropped lower, kneading the tight muscles at the base of Dean’s neck. Contented moans slipped past Dean’s lips and he felt completely boneless against Cas, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so relaxed. “Mmmm, feels wonderful, Sweetheart.” He slurred completely complaisant.

Castiel kissed the side of his throat. “Are you enjoying your Birthday so far?”

Dean sighed, “ _Best Birthday ever_.” He looked over his shoulder at Cas. “I can't wait to go on our ride.” He replied as he sank into his lover’s hold.”

“Me either,” Cas whispered against his temple as he wrapped his arms around his waist.

After eating a quick lunch of sandwiches and chips they headed over to the inn’s tiny country store that was located right off the main lobby. It was filled with all sorts of good country stuff. Jams and preserves, handmade jewelry from local artisans, and a pretty good array of western gear.

Dean made a beeline for the shelf of cowboy hats, Cas right on his heels with a smirk on his face.

Dean turned to Cas as he picked up one of the hats and clapped it on his head, “Whatcha think?”

Cas tipped his head to the side as he looked at his lover in the brown hat with the pinched crown, “I like it,” He grinned, “looks good on you.”

“You try one,” Dean picked one up from the shelf, this one with a flatter top, “this one.”

Cas obligingly put on the hat and glanced over at Dean, “Well?”

Dean crinkled up his nose and looked over to the hats again, his eyes scanning along the row until he found what he was looking for. He picked up another model, one with a triple pinched crown. “Try this one.”

Cas switched out the hats, “this is more comfortable.” He gave Dean a wink, “what do you think?”

Dean smirked with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “I like it.”

Cas chuckled as he took in his appearance in the full length mirror by the hat rack. “I like it too.” He scanned the shop, his eyes stopped on the footwear, “Ooohh, let’s get boots!”

Dean laughed as he nodded, “Absolutely.”

“Can I help you boys?” They turned around to find a pretty young woman smiling at them.

“We need these,” Dean motioned to the hats they were still wearing, before taking his off and placing it back on the display rack, Cas following suit. “And we’d like boots, too.”

The woman nodded, “Alrighty.” She started towards the back of the shop, calling over her shoulder, “names Jo. I’ll get the hats, you boys meet me by the boots. Y’all pick out the ones you wanna try on. I’ll be back in two shakes.”

It didn’t take them long to each pick out a pair of boots, they’d lucked out and Jo had what they wanted in their size. They picked out a few more souvenirs to take home with them, Jo promised to have their other purchases along with their hat and boot boxes sent up to their room. Dean and Cas left wearing their new boots, had their hats on, and a new pair of shearling-lined leather gloves for each of them.

It was ten until two when Dean and Castiel made it out to the barn to wait for their guide. 

“We’ve got a few minutes,” Dean clapped his hands together as he looked around. “It’s real pretty here.” He went to fish his phone out of his pocket, “Damn.” He grumbled when his gloved hand fumbled around it, he stripped off his glove and tried again. He looked up with a wide grin waving the phone in his hand. “We gotta get some pictures. Document my special birthday weekend.”

“Oh, yeah,” Cas exclaimed, “you’re so right!”

“Lemme take one of you in your hat.” He pointed to a spot by the barn, “Stand over there.” Cas moved by the barn and smiled brightly into the camera.

“Now you.” Cas took the phone from Dean as they switched places. He held it under his arm as he took off his glove. “Say…” he smirked, “say, ‘SEX’!” Dean obliged with a small snort and Cas snapped a couple quick shots.

“Now, show me those brand spankin’ new boots.”

“Real shit-kickers, ain’t they?” Dean chuckled as he propped one foot up on a bail of hay and leaned forward, his arms folded over his thigh, “get ‘em good now.” Dean teased as Cas snapped the picture. Dean then pointed to the hay, “Okay, your turn to show me those boots.”

Cas smiled as he took Dean’s spot. “Oh, wait.” He looked toward the sound of the barn door opening, “I think this is the guy.” Dean took a quick pic of Cas who let out a huff, “I wasn’t ready.”

Dean shrugged as he looked down at his phone, “You still look hot, Babe.” 

A tall and lanky guy with straw brown hair was walking toward them leading three quarter horses. “This must be Garth,” Cas whispered to Dean. 

The man grinned and waved when he saw the two men waiting on him. “You must be Dean and Castiel, my two o'clock tour.” 

“We are,” Dean stuck out his hand and Garth shook it. He noticed the phone in Dean’s hand and nodded towards it. “You’re gonna wanna keep that out. I’ll make sure we stop so you guys can take some good shots of the place.”

Then he extended his hand to Castiel. “I'm Garth it's nice to meet you. Have either of you ridden before?” Castiel and Dean both shook their heads. “That's no big deal. I’ll have you boys riding like pros by the end of our excursion around the ranch.” One of the horses nickered behind Garth and he turned to pat his muzzle. “Let's get you introduced to your horses.” He pulled the reins on the light bay horse and he trotted forward. “This fella's name is Cinnamon.” The horse snorted and bumped Dean's shoulder. Garth grinned. “He likes you, you wanna ride him?”

Dean nodded and slowly reached up and ran his hand down his muzzle, Cinnamon pressed into the touch. Dean smiled as he continued to pet the horse. “Yeah, I'll take Cinnamon.” Garth handed Dean the reins.

He handed his phone to Cas. “Take our picture.”

Garth waited while Castiel took Dean’s picture with Cinnamon before turning to him. Castiel was watching the chestnut colored horse paw at the snowy ground playfully with a smile on his face. “This girl right here is Pumpkin, she's a real sweetheart.” Garth clicked his tongue and pulled at her reins and she stepped forward.

Castiel tentatively patted her on the side of her neck. “What do you say, Pumpkin? Can I ride you today?” She snorted and pressed her muzzle against Cas’ cheek. 

Garth laughed, “I think you can take that as a ‘yes’.” Garth patted the black and white checkered horse on the shoulder, “I guess that means I'm riding you today, Domino.” He clapped his hands together, “Alright let's mount and get this tour started.”

Dean snapped a couple quick pics of Cas with his horse and one of the horse herself. “She’s a pretty one.”

Cas hummed in agreement, “And your’s is a handsome devil.” 

“Just like his rider for the day,” Dean grinned at the eye roll it had earned him from his lover as he followed Garth with Cinnamon in tow.

Garth showed Cas and Dean the proper way to mount their horses. After a couple of misses, they were finally astride. He held onto the reins of both horses and waited until Castiel and Dean were comfortable before as he ran through some of the basic do’s and dont’s of riding including a few basic commands for the horses. He also showed them the proper way to hold the reins and how to use them to steer. Pull the reins left to go left, right to go right, and back to stop, and to go let the reins out a little, giving a little kick with your heels to the horse's side while clicking your tongue, or make a loud kissy noise.

He walked them around the paddock for a few minutes so they could get used to the motion of their horse and practice steering.

“Ready?” With enthusiastic nods from both men, he mounted Domino and led them out of the paddock. 

Castiel and Dean rode side by side directly behind Garth. As soon as the tour started Dean could tell this wasn't going to be a ride on groomed trails. It was going to have more of a back country vibe.

Garth stopped them at the beginning of their ‘tour’ and just let them take in the scenery that was spread out before them. Dean was quick to get his camera ready, taking a few shots of the open field that was on one side, lightly covered with snow, where the opposite side was more thickly covered. 

“The wind’s blowin’ that way, huh?” Dean nodded to the area that had the heavier covering of snow.

“Good catch for a city boy,” Garth commented as he started to move forward, “I’m gonna take you around to the other paddock. You can get some nice pictures there. Most of the horses that aren’t workin’ today are out playin’.”

“Horses play?”

“Well of course horses play!” Garth turned toward Cas, “You ever heard the expression horsing around?”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Cas let out a loud laugh. “Guess I never put two and two together.”

Dean thought about his brother and a small smile spread across his face as he turned to look at Cas. “Sammy would so love this place! Especially this ride.” 

Cas smiled back, “you think?”

“Oh yeah,” Dean nodded before a devious smirk spread across his lips. “I would just feel sorry for the poor horse that would have to carry the sasquatch around.”

Cas rolled his eyes, “What about Bobby?”

“Bobby,” Dean let out a loud bark of laughter while shaking his head. “The only horses Bobby would have anything to do with are under the hood of a car.” He looked back over at Cas, “Has Gabe ever been to this place?”

Cas shook his head, “No, but I think he’d like it. Zar too.”

Dean nodded as he concentrated on staying behind Garth, “I could see them having real good times with their girl friends.” He stopped for a second, his brows furrowed, “Hey, do they have girlfriends?”

Cas chuckled, “Zar does, more than one actually. He’s what the kids nowadays would call a ‘playa’.” he finger quoted best he could while still holding out to the reins.

“No, just, oh my God,” Dean burst out laughing. “Don’t ever say ‘playa’ again. Let’s leave the kids lingo to the kids.” Cas glared playfully at him as Dean wiped a stray tear from his eye. “What about Gabe?”

Cas shook his head, “Gabe in his words, is blessedly free of female entanglement.”

After a few minutes of riding in silence Dean giggled as he spoke “Is it scary that I can actual picture Zar with multiple women?”

“Little bit, kinda disturbing really.” Cas shook his head, gasping as something caught his attention. “Oh, Dean! Look!” They’d just rounded from their path and came out in front of a large paddock where several horses were actually playing.

“I’ve got to get some pictures of this!” Dean peered through the lense of his phone, “Look at that dog running around with that horse!”

“Looks like they’re having a good time!” Cas was thrilled when he looked over and saw that Dean was having a good time also. Sometimes he just seemed too serious. “Dean,” Cas carefully leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder, “Look over there,” he pointed to his left at a black and white horse dancing around in the snow.

“Oh, wow,” Dean whispered, “beautiful.”

“Look at them,” Cas pointed out another pair that he was sure Garth would say were ‘horsing around’.

“Here…” Dean handed the phone to him, “you’ll get a better shot.” Castiel snapped the picture and a few of Dean with a huge grin on his face as he watched the horses play.

“Well, let’s get movin’,” Garth nickered for his horse to move back onto the path they were following, “You’ll see a few of the horses we let roam outside the paddock as we ride. Plus, there’s deer and the farm’s dogs, even got a cat that hangs around here.”

Dean and Cas carefully steered their mounts behind Garth, “This is great, Cas.” He looked over at Dean and saw the ruddiness the cold was making on his cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes as he drank everything in.

He cleared his throat after a few minutes of silence, “Can I ask you something Cas?” 

“Sure,” Castiel turned his attention from the large gated area that housed about twenty cattle to Dean. “You can ask me anything.”

“How is it you were single when we met?” Dean scraped his teeth over his bottom lip, “I mean, you're funny, sweet, sexy as hell.” He lowered his voice for only Cas to hear. “And terrific in the sack. Not to mention romantic,” he crinkled his nose up, “I mean if you're into that sorta thing.”

Castiel rolled his eyes, “Don’t even act like you don’t _love_ my romantic side, Winchester.”

Dean winked at him, “Never said I didn’t, Novak. But really,” he urged, “how were you not taken.”

“I don’t know,” Cas shrugged as they rode along the snowy valley down to a partially frozen creek that Garth said ran the full length of the ranch. “I mean, I went on dates, sometimes they led to a second, and even a third, but it never went much further.” He glanced over at Dean, “And I went through the whole one night stands and bar scene thing in my twenties but as I got older it just,” he sighed, “became very unfulfilling and empty. I found myself wanting more.” He licked his lips and met Dean’s eyes, “I guess I never found that special someone I clicked with.” 

Garth halted and let the guys take in the sights in front of them. “Y’ever see Kansas so pretty?”

Dean let out a long breath. It’d been a long time since he’d seen a winter from topside and this one was a pretty one. “Not in a long time.” He looked over at Cas with a soft smile.

Cas pointed to the side by him, “Take that view, through the trees.”

Dean handed him the phone, “You do it.” After Cas fired off a few shots he scrolled through the results. “I like this one.”

Dean let out a low whistle as he glanced down at the phone, “Niice! Me too, it’s definitely the best one.” They followed Garth’s lead and gently coaxed Cinnamon and Pumpkin to move forward.

They rode quietly for a bit, just taking in the scenery and enjoying their ride.

“So,” Cas gave him a sweet smile as he broke their silence, “What about you, Dean? You're also funny, sweet, sexy as hell,” he lowered his tone just like Dean had earlier, “and _decent_ in the sack.” He laughed at his lover's disgruntled look. “No, but in all seriousness, how is it that no one snagged you up already?”

“Well,” Dean hummed. “I guess I was always the type that never wanted more, never wanted to settle down, was happy with one night stands.” He sighed, “but at some point it grew old, you know? I found myself wanting _more_. And believe me I never thought I’d see that day commin’.” Dean stroked the side of his horse's neck as he murmured. “Funny how someone can waltz into your life and turn your whole world, and way of thinking upside down.”

“It really is,” Cas agreed with a smile, before they both turned their attention back to Garth and the story he was telling. Dean could feel the rich history and traditions of the ranch through each of the stories Garth shared with them.

“Here’s one of our crown jewels,” Garth stopped them again and pointed down into a shallow valley, “I call it the hitchin’ barn since we host about fifty weddings a year there.”

“It’s beautiful,” Cas murmured looking at the building, that held an air of pure country charm to it.

“It really is,” Dean answered as he took a couple shots of the place. “Nice spot to tie the knot. Has a very welcoming feel to it.”

“Oh, yeah,” Garth agreed as he urged Domino to continue forward, “I’ve never seen a wedding here that wasn’t special and where the couple didn’t have a good time. O’course Miss Missouri would tolerate nothin’ less.”

The surroundings were beautiful, everything covered in the dusting of snow. Dean took in a deep breath and he shut his eyes as the air burned his lungs, he exhaled slowly with a smile on his face as he looked over at his lover. “Tell me something about your childhood, Cas. I’m rather curious, what kind of teenager were you?” A smirk spread across Dean’s lips, “I bet you were a real _Angel_ , a real do gooder, rule follower.”

Castiel shook his head with a smirk of his own, “You’d be wrong in that assumption. I was a rebellious teen, snuck out of the house, smoked pot and everything.”

“Castiel Novak,” Dean mock gasped. “I just don’t know if I believe it.”

Cas’ grin widened, “Ask my mom.”

“Oh, I’m definitely gonna ask her.” Dean winked at him, “I want to hear all about young Castiel and his teen angst.”

Cas snorted, “Yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes, “You mock, but you just wait until she gets started in on those stories.”

“I can’t wait... Oh, hell!” Dean’s head whipped around, “What was that.”

“A snowy owl,” Garth said over his shoulder. “Keep moving, this way, he steered them to the left, “you’ll see it again. We think it’s a he. He flies this field all the time.”

“Is he hunting,” Dean asked as he looked left and right searching for the majestic bird.

“Most like,” Garth answered.

“Garth,” Cas called out to their guide, “I don’t know very much about snowy owls, but are they not prevalent in the Arctic?”

“And you’d be right there, Castiel,” the man pulled his horse to a stop right at the start of a long stretch of open land and turned to face them, “seems, according to the powers that be, that these owls have been making their way into the colder areas of the states for a while now.” He removed his hat and shaded his eyes to look for the owl. He pointed east of them, “Look that a way for ‘im.”

Cas managed to move Pumpkin closer to Cinnamon, “Dean,” he whispered, “look over there. I love old barns!”

“Yeah?” Dean looked at his lover, “How come?”

“Mm-hm.” Cas nodded, “There’s just something about them. I dunno, even if they’re falling down, they just seem so stalwart, like past guardians of the land or something.” He chuckled at himself, “Hell, I sound silly don’t I?”

“Not at all Babe,” Dean leaned forward carefully and dropped a kiss to Castiel’s wind chapped lips, “I like ‘em too.” He pulled back and nodded to the old barns, “And those are beauts.”

“Dean, Dean,” Cas clapped his hand over Dean’s arm, “There it is!”

Dean lowered his phone and looked in the direction that Cas pointed. Sure enough winging it’s way across the field was a white owl, wings fully unfurled as it raced over the open ground.

“God, that’s gorgeous!” Dean quickly snapped a number of shots hoping that one would come out halfway clear.

“Now I’m curious,” Cas grinned. “What about you, Dean, what kind of teen were you,” Cas asked as they started to move forward again, “a bad boy maybe?” 

“Nope,” Dean shook his head. “I was a good boy, apparently the opposite of you.” He smirked and winked at Cas. “I took care of my Dad and Sammy, until Dad passed. Then I took care of Sammy and Bobby. I spent all my free time working in Bobby’s shop helping him.”

Cas honestly wasn’t surprised at the lack of childhood Dean described, he had known a lot of the details from previous conversations. He also knew Dean really hated pity, and he respected that, so he wouldn’t pity him now. “You know,” Cas finally said softly keeping his tone free of sympathy but still warm, “it’s really too bad you never got the chance to really be a kid. It doesn’t sound like you had much of a childhood.”

“Maybe not,” Dean shrugged, “but I wouldn’t change a thing, it made me the man I am today.”

“And what a man you are,” Castiel held his hand out between them and waited for Dean to take it in his own before squeezing it lightly. “You are truly something, Dean Winchester, something _very_ special.”

“Thanks, Cas,” Dean whispered as his heart sped up from the look of pure adoration and love that was behind Cas’ big blue eyes.

“Well, gentlemen,” Garth said tearing Dean and Cas out of their moment. He turned to talk with them as they kept moving, “we’re gonna loop around up here,” he pointed to their right, “and start our way back, on that parallel pathway. We’ll stop a couple times, but the sun’s gonna set soon, and I like to have my newbies in afore that.”

“Lead on,” Cas said as he spurred Pumpkin on.

For as flat as Kansas was this property had some really nice hillocks and valleys. As they reached the crest of a small rise, they swooped around a long field of snow covered wheat. Dean chuckled as he saw a cowhand coming out after a cow that seemed intent on rolling a bale of hay instead of following the rest of the herd into the barn that stood about a hundred feet away.

Cas flung his head back in a full out laugh as he followed to where Dean pointed.

As the final trek of the ride continued, they traded stories of family and friends and their time before they’d met, keeping watch for whatever sight they’d see. For a while there was just the flat openness of the Kansas prairie that some found boring. Castiel found it soothing. And he thought about maybe coming back here with Gabe, Zar, and maybe, Dean’s brother. 

“You know,” he tapped Dean’s arm, “we should come back here sometime for just a guys weekend. Could be fun. Maybe you could ask Sam, too?”

Dean furrowed his brows, “Does Zar get to bring women?”

“Uh, no,” Cas shook his head and shuddered, “a _guys_ weekend, Dean. As in Men only!”

Dean chuckled, “He’ll hit on that cute Jo from the shop.”

“M’yeah.” Cas chuckled, “more than likely.” He looked toward the last leg of their tour and spotted something. “Oh, Dean! How cute is that!” He pointed dead ahead.

Dean’s eyes widened, “What the hell is that?”

“It’s a fox!” Cas chuckled as he watched the little thing jumping in the snow. “I think he needs a playmate!”

“He looks quite happy as he is,” Dean laughed as he took a number of shots of the playful fox.

“Well, guys,” Garth threw over his shoulder, “we’re almost home. I’m going to take you around through the garden and then onto the paddock. “We can’t actually go through it now, Miss Missouri would have my hide and probably yours too if we trucked through their with our four-legged friends, here, but I’ll take you passed it.” 

Garth stopped so that Dean and Cas could get a good look at the formally laid out prairie garden nestled in the snow. It’s hedge of bushes stood guard against the elements as best it could and from all four-legged intruders.

“This is lovely,” Cas said with awe in his voice as he looked it over. “This must be spectacular in the spring!”

“Oh, it’s Miss Missouri’s pride and joy,” Garth answered with a bit of pride in his voice. “Maybe sometime, y’all can come back and see it in bloom.”

As they came up on the paddock Dean couldn’t resist one last shot from atop Cinnamon of the sun starting to set in the distance.

As the dismounted and each let out a small groan at the change in position, Cas spied what he’d been looking for the entire ride. The cat Garth had mentioned. Just as Dean was pocketing his well-used phone, Cas stopped him. “Gimme your phone,” he whispered, “this I gotta get a picture of.”

Dean grinned, “What, Cas?”

“That.” Castiel smiled back as he crept closer and quickly snapped a pic of the orange marmalade cat nestled in the snow.

As soon as the shutter clicked she was off like a shot. 

“That’s Gingercake,” Garth laughed, “I’m kinda surprised she let you get that close!”

“Hey, man,” Dean offered his hand, “had a great time. Thanks!”

“Yes,” Castiel offered his hand as well, “you were very accommodating. Thank you so much.”

Garth said his goodbyes and that he hoped to see them around as he led the tired horses into the bar to feed and water them.

On their walk back to the inn, Dean saw something out of the corner of his eye and pulled Cas in that direction. “Dean what are we, where are we going?”

“You'll see,” he replied as he continued to pull Cas along. Dean smiled at the tire swing hanging from the branch of an ancient oak tree and climbed on it. He kicked off the ground and breathed in deep, smelling the crisp winter air that surrounded him as he swung lightly back-and-forth.

Castiel stepped forward and gave him a little push making him go higher and faster the chilly air stinging his cheeks. He grinned at Cas, “You know the last time I was on a tire swing I was ten.”

Castiel laughed, “I use to play on the tire swing every day in elementary school.”

Dean dug his heels in the ground and stopped swinging. He wiggled his eyebrows, “Come on Cas get on with me.”

Castiel smiled and climbed in opposite of Dean. “You ready?”

Castiel nodded and gripped the hanging chain. “I'm ready Dean.” Dean reached over grabbed Cas and started spinning them around like a top. Castiel started screaming and laughing in pure childish excitement.

Round and round they went their laughter filling the air. “Dean, Dean we gotta stop I'm so dizzy.”

They put their feet down and slowed the swing until it came to a stop. Dean took off his new hat and threw his head back and laughed, “Oh, my God that was so much fun, everything is spinning Cas. There are like three of you right now.” Dean smirked, “But that ain't so bad, oh the things I would do to the three of you.”

“Pervert,” Castiel snorted, “but I know what you mean with the dizziness, if I tried to walk right now I'm ninety percent sure I would fall down.”

Dean leaned forward tipping Cas’ hat back and dipping forward until his lips found Cas’. “I think we should just sit here and kiss until the unsteady feeling passes.”

Castiel smiled against his lips, “I like the way you think.”

Once back in their suite Castiel looked at his watch it was almost six. He dug his and Dean’s swim trunks out of the drawer. He tossed Dean his and smirked at him as he stripped. “Let's go check out hot tub out before we get dinner. Do our muscles good after that ride.”

Dean let his eyes take over Castiel's naked form and waggled his brows before mimicking what Cas had said to him on the swing, “I like the way you think.”

Dean sighed as he sank into the water, Cas turned on the jets and moved to sit next to Dean, relaxing into the water.

Dean rolled his shoulders and flinched, the action did not go unnoticed by Cas. "Come here, let me give you a massage."

Dean positioned himself between Cas' legs. Castiel placed kisses on the back of Dean's neck and brought his palm to the center of his back. Dean trembled under the touch. Cas slowly started pressing the heel of his hand hard and smoothed up Dean's back. He let out a moan. "Mmmm feels _wonderful_ , Cas." He dug his fingers into the Dean’s skin, pressing and kneading it. Dean moaned loudly, little sounds of pleasure as he melted like butter against Castiel. 

Cas brought up his other hand and started digging his fingertips and palms into Dean's lower back, working his way up to his shoulders. He worked the knots and kinks out of the Dean’s shoulders and back that the horseback ride had put there. Dean continued to moan with a mixture of delight and want the entire time. Cas grabbed Dean's hips and pulled him back to whisper in his ear. "Are you making all those deliciously tempting noises to torture me?"

"Maybe,” Dean hummed mirthfully as he smirked over his shoulder. “Is it working? Am I turning you on?" Cas pulled Dean back hard by his hips grinding his firm cock against Dean's ass.

"What do you think?” Dean moaned again and he reached back grabbing Cas' stiff cock. Do I feel turned on?" 

"I think I want to fuck your brains out.” Dean dropped his head back and growled by his ear, “How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan, let's get out and go back to our room." Castiel panted as Dean stroked him through his swim trunks.

“Here Cas,” Dean flipped their positions pulling Cas into his lap. “I want to take you right here, right now,” he whispered hotly in Castiel's ear.

“Dean!” Cas gasped, “anyone could walk in on us!” 

“I know,” Dean nodded and sucked a bruise onto Castiel's throat.”That's what makes it so damn hot. Anyone could walk in and see my cock buried deep in your ass.” He nipped at Castiel's bottom lip. “C’mon, Cas, you know you want to.”

He sighed burying his face into Dean's neck, nodding as he wrapped his arms and legs around him. Castiel started kissing Dean's throat, mouthing at his Adam’s apple, before working his way down his chest. Dean hummed, tilted his head back giving his lover better access, as he closed his eyes in pleasure.

They slipped their trunks off and Cas straddled Dean again. He lifted his hips up and slipped a finger in his ass, then another directly after and he began to scissor himself open. Dean groaned "God, it's, so hot watching you open yourself up to take me.” After a few minutes of prep, Cas couldn't wait any longer he grabbed a hold of the base of Dean's dick, positioned it against his rim and slowly sank down on him, choking out a moan at the slight burn of taking him to soon. Cas panted against Dean's skin, trying to be as quiet as he could.

Dean shut his eyes, and leaned back resting his head against the edge of the hot tub as Cas ground down on his cock. Dean moaned pulling Cas down for a kiss, threading his fingers through his hair.

Dean turned his head and nipped at Castiel's shoulder as his hands gripped them tight using them as leverage as he thrust up into Cas. Castiel bit his bottom lip as he whimpered with each one of Dean's thrusts. Castiel keened and threw his head back when Dean's cock rubbed against his prostate. He leaned down to catch Dean's mouth. They ground their hips focusing on the feeling of absolute pleasure. Dean was getting close. The feel of Cas riding him, the adrenaline rush of knowing that they could get caught at any moment was driving him to the edge. He reached down and started pumping Cas' cock hard and fast. Castiel kissed him once more then took Dean’s bottom lip in his mouth and bit down so he wouldn't scream as his orgasm washed over him and he painted Dean's chest in splash after splash of his sticky spend.

Cas pressed his forehead to Dean’s and rocked back-and-forth on his cock. Dean let out a groan and stilled Cas with his hands gripping firmly on his hips as he pumped Castiel full of his release. They sat like that for a minute processing what they had just done. Castiel let out a nervous laugh as he sat up in Dean’s lap, his cock slipping out of Cas. “I can't believe we just did that.”

“That makes two of us.” Dean let out a loud bark of laughter as he grabbed their swim trunks handing Cas his. “Let's get dressed and go back to our room.”

Castiel slipped his trunks up over his hips and stepped out of the hot tub. “You know Missouri probably knows what we just did in here.”

Dean got out and reached for the towels, he tossed Cas his, “Huh, you know I didn't even think about that.” He smirked as he grabbed Cas’ waist and was getting ready to kiss him when Missouri calling out from down the hall made them spring apart. 

“You two quit kissing and git! Your room’s ready for ya!” 

Dean wrapped his arm around Cas as they made a hasty departure from the second door that led to their room. 

“What did she mean, the room’s ready,” Dean asked Cas since he had no idea what the woman meant.

Cas leaned into Dean, “You’ll see.”

As they got to their room, Castiel stepped back and let Dean open the door. He gasped as he took in the sight. Their bed was covered in red and white rose petals. On top of the trunk at the foot of the bed was a table tray with a metal bucket filled with ice and a bottle of champagne nestled in it. On one side of the champagne bucket were glasses and a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and on the other was a homemade apple pie with two saucers and a pie cutter. 

Dean’s eye flitted from there to the table in the center of the room, it had two plates on it, each with a large t-bone steak, a mixed vegtables and a house salad on the side.

Votive candles and a glass vase filled with a bouquet of elegant purple flowers with pale blue throats sat in the middle of the table. Dean walked over and ran his fingers over one of the flowers that reminded him so much of a star bursting in the galaxy. He had to touch them to see if they were real, they were so beautiful, so perfect, the way the hues bled together as if part of a watercolor painting.

“Do you like them,” Castiel whispered as he watched Dean gently stroke one of the petals.

“I love them, Cas, no one has ever gotten me flowers before.” Dean turned to him and smiled, “I've never seen anything like these, what are they?”

Castiel walked over and wrapped his arms around Dean's waist. “They're sapphire blue dendrobium orchids.”

Dean leaned his head back on Cas’ shoulder. “I can't believe you did all this for me, Cas, no one has ever-” Dean voice hitched, thick with emotion.

Castiel looked him in the eyes. “Dean, you are worth this and so much more. I would do these things for you every day just to see you smile.”

Dean hugged Cas tight placing a kiss to his cheek before pulling back. “Let's get in our pj’s and eat Cas, what do you say?”

Castiel walked over to the dresser and pulled out two tees and two pairs of sweatpants handing one set to Dean. “I say whatever you want, Birthday Boy.”

They ate their candle lit dinner at the table talking about how much they’re enjoying this weekend; everything from the horseback guided tour to making love under the stars and how they both could not believe that they had been brazen enough to have sex in the communal hot tub. Once they had cleaned their plates Castiel sliced them an extra-small slice of pie. And before Dean could protest Cas assured him the entire pie was his and he could have more later, but he needed to save room for the strawberries and champagne. 

“Cas,” Dean looked at his lover in wonderment, “I can't thank you enough for this weekend, it’s been truly amazing.” 

Castiel licked the pie off his fork and gave Dean a fond smile. “There's no need to thank me, Dean, I just wanted to do something special for you.”

“You have Cas,” Dean reached over and joined their hands on top the table. “I know I have said this a few times already today, but this _is_ the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

After they finished with their pie they stacked their dirty dishes on the table tray. Dean popped the cork on the champagne and poured them each a glass.

He handed one to Cas and took his own along with the plate of strawberries as they moved over to the window seat. He placed the plate of strawberries on his lap and Cas smirked at him as he plucked one off the plate and ran the treat across Dean’s bottom lip, “Open up.” 

Dean’s lips parted and Castiel's slipped the chocolate covered berry past his lover’s plump lips. Dean bit down and groaned, and as a tiny bit of strawberry juice ran down his chin, Cas leaned in and chased the trail back up to Dean's lips with his tongue, never had he tasted anything sweeter. When he pulled back Dean was holding a large berry between his thumb and forefinger smiling salaciously at Castiel. They fed each other strawberry after strawberry stealing kisses and licking the other's fingers clean until the plate was empty.

Dean gathered all the dirty dishes on the table tray and turned to Cas. “I'm going to take this back down to the kitchen.”

“Okay,” Castiel licked his lips and gave Dean a lecherous once over, “Hurry back.”

Dean walked quietly into the great room not wanting to disturb anyone, he was so lost in thought wondering if he should leave the dishes on the table or take them into the kitchen that he didn't see Missouri sitting at the table. “Hello, Dean.”

Dean jumped almost dropping the tray in his hands. “You scared me to death, what are you doing sitting there in the dark.”

She folded her hands on the table, “I was waiting on you, Dean.” She motioned to the seat across from her. “Please sit, I would like to talk to you.”

A feeling of trepidation washed over him as he slowly approached the table. He placed the tray down and took a seat. Dean cleared his voice and hoped his tone wouldn't give away his nerves when he asked, “What would you like to talk about Miss Missouri?” 

She reached behind her and flipped the dining room light on. “I know you’ve heard about me, Dean, about my gift. And I don't know if you believe or not, but something deep down inside me says you do.” 

Dean licked his lips and nodded.

Missouri continued, “There’s something dark around you and Castiel, Dean, _very dark_. And you know more about it than him.” Dean stiffened in his seat and Missouri held out her hands in a placating manner. “Now, I don't know all the details, my gift don't work that way. But I do know that he has given up something priceless for the chance to be with you.” She leaned forward and looked Dean in the eyes, “But you already know that, don't you?”

“Yes,” Dean whispered and looked down at the table. 

“I know you are a good man, Dean.” Missouri reached across the table and placed her hands over his. “I see a storm on the horizon, and dark times.” She shook her head and sighed, “You both have so much to lose, but with this, this, ‘ _deal_ ’ that was struck clearly makes it so you both can't get what you want.”

Dean looked up at her meeting her kind eyes. “What do I do?”

“Even if I did know, Dean, it's not my place to tell you.” Missouri gave his hands a tight squeeze. “It's your path to choose, and remember not all paths are easily travelled.” She stood up gathered the tray and started to walk towards the kitchen, she paused when she made it to the door and turned. “There's one more thing I need to tell you, I'm not sure what it means, hopefully, you will be able to make sense of it.”

Dean’s couldn’t hide his confusion as he asked, “What is it?”

Missouri let out a small sigh, “ _As clever as the king is, there's always a loophole_ ”. With that she turned back around and disappeared through the doors and into the kitchen leaving Dean alone with his thoughts.

_‘As clever as the king is, there's always a loophole_.’ Dean sighed and shook his head. Missouri was wrong. Crowley was not only the King of Hell, but the King of the Crossroads and with his deals, there would be no loophole. On March 20th Castiel will lose his soul. He will be taken to hell where he will be a Crossroads Demon and Dean will have to live with the guilt that he caused it. Dean pushed up from his chair and walked back to their room. 

When he made it to the door he took a deep breath before pushing it open, his mouth instantly dried at the sight that greeted him. The room bathed in the soft glow of candlelight and Castiel lying naked on the bed amongst the red and white rose petals. Cas smiled over at him, “What took you so long? I thought I was going to have to start without you.”

“You wouldn't dare,” Dean growled as he walked towards the bed ridding himself of his clothes along the way. He sat down on the bed beside Castiel, picked up one of the red petals and ran it down Castiel chest. “I ran into Missouri.”

Cas propped himself up on his elbows and his eyes widened. “She _knows_ what we did in her hot tub doesn't she?”

Dean let out a loud laugh, “I don’t know about that,” he smirked down at Castiel, “or if she did she didn't say anything. She just wished me Happy Birthday again and wanted to know if we enjoyed dinner and how our stay was going.”

Cas blew out the breath he had been holding and dropped back down on the bed. “Thank God.”

Dean continued running the rose petal along Castiel's body down his chest up his thighs and over his half hard cock. “How long have you been naked and waiting?” He leaned down and whispered in Cas’ ear. 

Castiel groaned as the silky rose petal touched his hard cock, “Ever since you left.”

Dean straddled Castiel's hips, he looked down and drank in the scenery of the man beneath him. He leaned down and placed kisses to each of Cas’ eyelids, his nose, cheeks, chin, jawline. He praised every inch of Castiel's face before he kissed his lips, his tempting, plump lips. Dean nipped and sucked at Castiel's lower lip as the kisses turned heated, Castiel giving back as good as he got, licking, sucking, and biting at Dean’s lips. Dean groaned and ground his hips rubbing their hardened lengths together.

Dean wanted, he wanted so much more. More kisses, more moans, more rough touches, more of the man he didn't deserve but so deeply desired. Dean's lips were painfully swollen now, but it was a pleasurable kind of pain, the kind he craved at times, times like right now. 

Castiel ran his hands along the plains of Dean’s bare back and gripped the firm swell of his ass, squeezing hard and pulling him down completely melding their bodies together. He kissed over Dean's jawline and up to his lips. Dean opened his mouth, allowing Cas' tongue to enter. They both breathed heavily, panting as they let out hushed moans that the other greedily swallowed up. 

Dean pulled back and started licking and sucking at Cas’ collarbone. “I want you Cas, I want you so bad. I want you to fuck me. Fuck me hard and fast, I want to feel it for days.” Dean ran his tongue up Castiel's throat and pulled his bottom lip into his mouth nibbling it roughly before letting go. “Can you do that Cas? Claim me, and make me yours?” 

“Yes,” Castiel growled against his throat before rolling them to where he was on top.

Cas leaned down kissing and biting Dean’s throat. Dean groaned and involuntarily and bucked his hips up moaning, seeking friction. "That's it Cas, harder," he panted. Cas smirked and started sucking and biting harder at Dean’s tender neck.

Dean keened as he fisted the sheets with one hand using the other to reach up and tangle in Castiel's hair. "Fuck, yes," he groaned rocking his hips slowly. Cas positioned himself between Dean's legs and grabbed the lube off the nightstand. He pushed Dean's legs further apart. Castiel nibbled at the firm flesh of his thighs before running his tongue between Dean ass cheeks. 

Cas ate Dean out with long teasing strokes of his tongue until his lover was a whimpering mess. Castiel ran his teeth across the sensitive pucker. “Feel good, Dean?” 

Dean groaned, “Fuck, yes, Cas.”

Castiel slicked up his fingers and ran the middle one across Cas’ hole, barely pushing it in before pulling back out. Dean hissed and pushed back, following Castiel's touch.  
“Fuck, I want you Cas, I want you so Goddamn bad.” Dean cried out as Castiel pushed two fingers in.

“It's so hot when you make noises like that,” Castiel growled against Dean’s thigh adding a third finger pushing them deeper and crooking them rubbing Dean's prostate.

“Oh, fuck, Castiel!” Dean’s threw his head back, his cock throbbing with each touch to that sensitive bump inside him. He wriggled his ass riding Cas’ fingers. 

“You’re so hot like this, writhing on my fingers.” Cas watched as his fingers slid in and out of Dean. “Do you want me to fuck you now? Take you, and make you mine.”

“God! Yes!,” Dean croaked as Castiel ran the pads of his fingers over his prostate once more.

He slipped his fingers from Dean’s body and pushed up on his knees slicking his cock. He grabbed Dean’s hips and positioned his cock against his rim, thrusting in from tip to root in one slick slide. Dean wrapped his legs around Cas and arched up in response, he slipped his arms around Dean's lower back lifting him up to where he was sitting on Cas’ lap. He growled against Dean’s throat as he thrust up into him hard.

Dean moaned and dropped his head onto Cas’ shoulder. “So good, feels so good,” Dean grunted as Castiel quickened his pace angling his thrusts, causing Dean to keen when his prostate was hit over and over.

Once he found that sweet spot, Cas made sure to pound into Dean, his movements rough and needy as he slammed into him, Dean’s body quivered with pleasure. He ran his nails down Dean’s back as his lover gyrated his hips. 

Dean moaned at the bite from Castiel's nails but ached for more as he leaned into the contact. He tried desperately to reach between them to give his throbbing neglected cock some much needed attention, but Castiel pulled his hand away and gripped Dean’s cock himself. “I'm the one who's going to make you come. I want to feel your cock throb in my hand,” Castiel said as he stripped Dean's dick. 

“So close, Cas,” Dean moaned against Castiel's throat, “fuck I'm so close.” 

“Let go for me, Babe,” Castiel cooed and Dean threw his head back as his orgasm rattled his body. His cock pulsed, shooting his spend in thick bursts between their bodies. Dean’s channel clamped down around Cas’ cock. He groaned fucking deep into the tight hot heat of Dean's body his cock spasming, filing his lover with his release.

They dropped to the bed, a mess of come, sweat slicked limbs and heavy breaths. They stayed like that until their hearts were no longer racing before they separated, but neither one going too far from the other. Dean pulled Cas into him and against his side, Cas rested his head on Dean’s shoulder and wrapped his arm around his waist. “That was amazing Cas, thank you.”

“Happy Birthday, Dean,” Cas slurred sleepily as he breathing evened out and he drifted off.

Dean laid there awake with Castiel in his arms long after his lover had drifted off. His body was relaxed and satisfied but his chest ached. He replayed his conversation with Missouri over and over in his head. He was still at a loss. He didn't even know how to begin to make sense of what she said, what he could do, or if there was even anything that could be done at all. 

He glanced down at his lover sleeping peacefully by his side. He turned away and looked out into the night sky. What was his path? He had less than two months with Cas and he would be gone for good. Dean couldn't picture that. He couldn't picture never seeing Castiel again. Never curling up on the couch with him, never hearing his laugh again, or seeing his smile. His chest hurt just thinking about it. He may get his life back but he's just trading one Hell for another and he honestly wasn’t sure which Hell would be worse. He let out a ragged sigh, no that's not true he _did_ know. Having Cas with him one day and ripped from his life the next, would be worse than any Hell Crowley could bestow on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Texts between Cas & Dean
> 
> **Dean: On my way home. Are you at my place or yours?**
> 
> **Cas: You're getting off early. I'm at yours.**
> 
> **Dean: Okay. See you in a few.**
> 
> **Cas: I'll be waiting.**
> 
> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23014194)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the Chapter! See ya June 8th! :)


	16. Cupid, Let Your Arrow Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys so sorry for the temporary hiatus. I signed up for The Destiel Harlequin Romance Challenge and had to put all my free time into that.
> 
> If you guys like ABO's you should check it out here!
> 
> [ _**Undercover Boyfriend**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11389014/chapters/25503342)
> 
> But I'm back now and this fic will continue on a bi-weekly schedule. I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl for beta'ing this chapter, and zephyrchrysalis for Alpha reading and producing art. 
> 
> Links to my artist's pages are in the end notes. 
> 
> Happy Reading!

  


Dean woke up with a thrum of excitement zinging through his veins. He’d been planning for this day for the last three weeks. Ever since Cas surprised him with his special birthday weekend at the Circle S Ranch he wanted to do something special for Valentine’s Day. He punched back that niggling thought that kept banging on his brain that this would be Cas’ last Valentine’s Day.

He’d never made a big deal about Valentine’s before. Oh, sure, he had hook ups with lonely women and men for that matter on this special day of lovers, but they’d never been more than just a warm body. He looked up in the mirror as he took the shaver to his chin. He froze as he looked at himself. Really looked. 

“Geeze, man, talk about chick-flick moments.”

He dropped his eyes and with a few quick swipes with his beard shaver his stubble was under control. He couldn’t believe how fast time was going. The last week of January was a blur and here they were already into the middle of February. 

He dressed for work quickly and headed for the kitchen where the heady aroma of coffee was wafting through his apartment. Maybe some caffeine would dull the ache in his chest when he thought about his dwindling time with Cas. Only thirty-six more days and each day the pain just grew.

At work he continued to think about Castiel, and it made him absolutely miserable when he thought about just how little time he had left with Cas, and even more forlorn when he thought about what was in store for him. Dean had been there, hell he'd lived that life for the past five years. He found himself wishing more and more that Crowley had never came to him with this deal, that he’d gone to another of his Demons. But... then, the very thought that he would never have gotten to _know_ Castiel, or thinking of Cas with someone other than him, made Dean queasy.

Dean’s plan for this special Valentine's was only a few hours away. He wanted to do something memorable for Cas, something he wouldn't forget. Dean wanted to make Castiel happy, to make him feel like no one ever had. And as selfish as it was, Dean wanted these memories, too. He wanted to lock away each smile, touch, and kiss Cas had ever given him deep within the recesses of his memories to recall years later when he's old and lonely, because Dean knew in his heart that once Castiel was gone? That's it for him. 

He’ll have Sam and Bobby but there would be _no one_ good enough to replace Castiel. So why even bother trying? 

Dean sighed as he replaced the oil drain plug on the Camaro that Rufus had him working on. He reached for his adjustable wrench to tighten it. No sooner had he finished when he heard Rufus barking at him. 

“Dean! Get your ass out from underneath that car boy, you got visitors!”

Dean furrowed his brows. Visitors? Who would be visiting him? Cas was teaching and he didn't really know anyone else well enough that they would stop by his work for a visit. Dean slid out from underneath the car and sat up on the creeper. He reached for the rag he had stuffed into his coveralls and wiped off his hands as he looked around the garage for Rufus. When Dean spotted him, he was standing by the garage door with a smirk on his face, a smirk that made Dean _extremely_ nervous. 

Dean stood up and tossed the rag down onto the creeper. “You said I had visitors?”

Rufus nodded. “Sure did.” He opened the garage door and called out into the waiting room, “Come on in, boys.”

Dean’s mouth dropped when the three men walked into the garage. The one on the right was dressed like a lion, the one on the left as a tiger, and the man in the middle wore a crimson dress shirt with white slacks and held a tawny teddy bear with a shirt the read Be My Valentine. Dean’s eyes widened at the sheer size of it, the bear was at least half the size of the man! 

Dean glanced around the garage. Benny, Ash, and Victor had stopped working and were watching with large smirks on their faces. Benny even had his phone out and ready. But ready for what? 

Dean turned back to the trio and noticed they had walked further into the garage to where they were standing only a few feet away from him. They smiled at Dean and much to his mortification, the one holding the bear started to sing with the other two joining in as backup.

“ _Baby, let me be your lovin' teddy bear_  
Put a chain around my neck  
And lead me anywhere  
Oh, let me be  
(Oh, let him be)  
Your teddy bear

_I don't wanna be a tiger_  
'Cause tigers play too rough  
I don't wanna be a lion  
'Cause lions ain't the kind you love enough.”

The lion and tiger started dancing around Dean, waving their paws in tune with the song, as the other man continued to sing. Dean could hear Rufus laughing, but he couldn't take his eyes off the spectacle happening in front of him to glare at his boss.

_Just wanna be, your teddy bear put your chain around my neck_  
And lead me anywhere  
Oh, let me be  
(Oh, let him be)  
Your teddy bear 

_Baby let me be, around you every night_  
Run your fingers through my hair  
And cuddle me real tight.”

The lion and tiger wrapped Dean up into a huge hug and he groaned as raucous laughter filled the garage.

“ _Oh, let me be_  
(Oh, let him be)  
Your teddy bear

_I don't wanna be a tiger_  
'Cause tigers play too rough  
I don't wanna be a lion  
'Cause lions ain't the kind you love enough

_Just wanna be, your teddy bear_  
Put a chain around my neck  
And lead me anywhere  
Oh, let me be  
(Oh, let him be)  
Your teddy bear  
Oh, let me be  
(Oh, let him be)  
Your teddy bear

The man holding the bear stepped forward and held it out to Dean as he sang the last line. “ _I just wanna be your teddy bear_.”

Dean reached out and took the bear into his arms burying his face into the soft fur to hide the blush that was spreading across his cheeks. He looked back up when he heard one of them talking to him. The man that had sung held out his hand to Dean took it, shaking it firmly. 

“Happy Valentine's Day from Cas, and thanks for being such a good sport.”

Dean laughed and shook his head. “Thanks for the break from work, and for the entertainment.”

The laughter got even louder, and included a few hoots and whistles. After the men exited the garage, Dean turned to glare at each of them. Rufus wiped a stray tear from his eye and his tone was amused as he spoke. “Boy, you can glare all you want, but you look as dangerous as a preteen girl while you’re holding that fluffy monstrosity.”

Dean huffed and turned to see Benny with his phone still held out. “Benny, are you filming this?” Dean asked incredulously.

Benny let out a loud bark of laughter. “Sure am, brotha! That man of yours is gonna want to see this.”

“I'm taking my break,” Dean grumbled as turned and stomped to the break room with the big bear tossed over his shoulder. He set the bear down in the corner of the room and pulled out his phone.

**Dean: Really Cas?**

Dean purchased a Coke and a bag of chips from the vending machine and when he sat down his phone buzzed on the table.

**Cas: I take it you received my Valentine's gift?**

**Dean: I got it all right. This bear is huge Cas! It's gonna to take up the whole corner of our bedroom.**

**Cas: Our bedroom?**

Dean bit his bottom lip and chewed on it. Shit, he had not meant to type that. Sure, he’d come to think of the bedroom as _theirs_ no matter what apartment they were staying at for the night; they’d gone back and forth from his to Cas’ apartment ever since Castiel had stayed with him after his ankle was injured and neither of them wanted to go back to just weekends after that week. 

That week had spoiled them, especially Dean. It gave Dean a taste of something he never knew he wanted, going to bed with someone every night, waking up with that person in your arms, and them being there waiting for you to get home after work. Dean had gotten his first taste of domesticity and he reveled in it.

**Dean: Yes, ours. I'm just not sure which bedroom. Probably your apartment, we have been spending more time there lately.**

**Dean: Now that I think about it? Definitely there. We can sit him in that chair in the corner of the room and he can watch as I fuck you, make you scream my name. Ohhhh I like that idea very much.**

**Cas: Dean! Could you please refrain from sending messages like that while I'm teaching?**

Dean smirked, he could just picture Cas squirming in his seat after reading that text.

**Dean: No, you deserve to get all turned on and pop a boner after what you just did to me. They sang to me Cas! They sang! And in front of everyone!**

**Cas: Please tell me Benny got it on video. He said he would.**

**Dean: Did everyone know?**

**Cas: Just Rufus and Benny. I had to ask Rufus if it was okay for me to send a singing telegram to his establishment and I wanted to ask Benny to film it.**

**Dean: Yes, Benny filmed it. You are something else Cas.**

**Cas: Tell him to email it to me, and something good I hope.**

**Dean: Very good Cas, see you after work.**

**Cas: See you then Dean.**

Dean pocketed his phone, threw his empty chip bag and soda can away before he sighed and walked out of the break room to face the good natured ribbing that was waiting from his coworkers and boss. Definitely from Benny, especially after he asks him to email that video to Cas.

Castiel sighed as the final bell of the day rang. He packed up his briefcase and walked out of his classroom, locking it behind him. He was glad work was over and even happier that it was Friday. He couldn't wait to get home, have a nice Valentine's dinner with Dean, and hopefully spend the rest of the night and the majority of the weekend in bed with him.

Castiel's footsteps faltered when his car came into view. Pinned beneath one of the windshield wiper blades was a blue rose and an envelope. Castiel freed the rose and brought it up to his nose, breathing in its sweet scent before he laid it on the hood of his car and opened the envelope.

_Cas,  
I was thinking about all our dates the other day and how each one holds a special place in my heart. Do you remember our very first date? Not all the dinner dates in my apartment or yours, but the first time we went out? You should pay that place a visit on your way home._

Castiel picked up the rose and placed the note back in the envelope. He unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat, setting his briefcase in the passenger's seat and placing the rose and note on top of it. Castiel started the car and pulled out of the parking lot with a smile on his face. He turned onto the street that would lead him to Thorn Park Cinema where they had their _Rocky Horror_ date.

Castiel opened the doors and stepped inside the lobby of the old theater. A young brunette who was leaning against the concession stand flashed him a smile. “Can I help you? We technically don't open for a few hours yet.”

He walked over to her and cleared his throat. “This is going to sound strange, but I'm--”

Her face lit up. “Are you Cas?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I am. Do you have something for me?”

She bent down to retrieve something from under the counter. When she stood up she was holding a blue rose in one hand and an envelope in the other. She held them out for Castiel to take. 

“You’re a very lucky guy,” she sing-songed. “Not only is that man of yours extremely dreamy, he's also romantic.”

Castiel smiled as he took the objects from her. “Thank you,” he answered sincerely.

He walked back out to his car, laid the rose with the other, and opened the envelope.

_Cas,  
This date was amazing. I really enjoyed it so much and would love to do it again because to be completely honest... I spent most of the date watching you. The way you smiled mesmerized me. When the show was over, I didn't want the date to end. I was so glad you suggested going to IHOP. You know Cas... you should follow your own advice and go there again._

Castiel smiled as he sat the envelope aside and started up his car. The drive from the theater to IHOP was a short one and within ten minutes he was sitting back in his car, holding a third blue rose and an envelope. The waitresses, much like the young woman at the theater, cooed and went on and on about how ‘romantic this was’. He smiled as he tore open the envelope, his stomach flipping in anticipation and excitement.

_Cas,  
I still think ketchup on hash browns is gross, but you're so damn cute I guess I can overlook it. I had so much fun here with you, eating a huge breakfast at two in the morning as we talked about the show... I loved how animated you got when you talked about how much you enjoyed it and about your favorite parts. I also loved how nervous you got when you asked me out on a date. Now... where was that you asked me to go to again?_

Castiel laughed as he pulled out of the parking lot. He remembered _exactly_ where he had asked Dean to go. Less than ten minutes later he was getting out of his car and walking up to the Boulevard drive-in ticket booth. It was still closed for the season, but Dean had taped a rose and note to the side of the booth where Cas would see it when he pulled in.

Once he was back his car he tore into the envelope.

_Cas,  
All I can say is you definitely made my first experience at the drive-in one I will never ever forget. And you have no idea how happy it makes me that I got to share that with you. Do you remember that lazy Sunday morning in December, the one where we spent all morning practically worshiping the other’s body? Yeah, I know we have had a lot of Sundays like that, but on this particular one we went out to lunch at a little bistro. Do you remember, now? You should swing by there._

Castiel smiled to himself, _How long can Dean keep this up?_ he mused to himself as he headed to Bourbon’s Bistro.

The little bistro was packed as Castiel made his way to the counter. The gentleman behind it looked up at his as he approached. “How many in your party, sir?”

Castiel shook his head. “I don't need a seat, thank you. Uhm, my Name is Castiel Novak. Do you have anything here for me?”

“Novak?” The man repeated as he turned to look behind the bar. “Ah, yes! I do have something for you, Mr. Novak.” He spun around and held the now familiar blue rose and envelope, but this time the man also held a large heart shaped box of bourbon balls, a specialty of theirs on Valentine's Day. He placed them on the bar and smiled at Castiel.

“Thank you,” Cas said as he picked up the heart shaped box along with the rose and envelope and made his way to his car. Castiel placed the chocolates and rose in the passenger seat as he read the new note.

_Cas,  
This lunch date was amazing! I loved talking about nothing and everything with you. I loved how we shared our food. But what I really loved about this date is what came after. Surely you remember._

Castiel shut off the engine, got back out of his car, and walked across the street to the park. Castiel's eyes lit up when he saw the familiar horse and sleigh. The man smiled at him and Castiel approached. “Hello, Castiel, it's nice to see you again.”

Castiel returned the warm smile. “It's nice to see you again too, Brian.”

He reached into the sleigh and pulled out Castiel's rose and envelope handing them to him. “Does that man of yours have you running all over town on Valentine's Day,” Brian teased, “instead of at home with him where you should be?”

Castiel laughed. “He's having me relive some of our first dates,” Castiel smiled down at the rose in his hands, “it's very romantic.”

“Sounds like something my Kate would have loved, God rest her soul.” Brian placed his hand on Castiel's shoulder causing him to look up. “When you have someone that makes you smile the way that you are now, you hold onto them with both hands. Do you hear me?”

“He's it for me,” Castiel stated seriously because he knew one way or another Dean really was _it_ ; either they would have their happily ever after or Castiel would be in hell, having given up everything for him.

Brian waved his hand towards the envelope. “We'll go on, boy, see what memory you are going to relive next.”

Castiel grinned and ripped the envelope open.

_Cas,  
Another first I shared with you and wouldn't have it any other way. It felt amazing being cuddled up to you as we rode through the park. The picture I took of us is the background photo on my phone. I take it out sometimes when I’m at work, just to see your smile. I would do anything to see you smile, Cas, and I mean anything. I would even go as far as doing something that if God had wanted us to do, he would've give us penguin feet! I think you know where to go, now._

Castiel laughed and tucked the note back into the envelope. He smiled at Brian. “Thank you for your advice and for giving me and Dean such a special memory.”

He nodded and smiled kindly at him. “You two come back and see me again, you're next ride is on the house.”

Castiel turned and jogged back to his car, anxious to get to the skating rink to see what else Dean had in store for him. 

He approached the rental booth and gave the woman working a small smile. “Hello, my name is Castiel Novak, did someone happen to leave something here for me?”

She grinned and placed her hand on her hip. “I've been wondering when you were going to show up!” She walked into the back room where all the ice skates were kept and came out carrying a bunch of balloons in one hand and the blue rose and envelope that he had been expecting in the other.

He laughed as she handed the balloons to him. Castiel looked up at them, there had to be at least a dozen shiny heart shaped balloons with a variety of messages on them: _Be my Valentine, Kiss Me, Hug Me, For You, All Mine_. They reminded him of the miniature boxes of heart shaped candy Gabriel had passed out to all the Elementary students.

“Here, don't forget these.” Castiel looked back to the woman who was holding the envelope and rose out for him.

Castiel reached out and took them. “Thank you.” 

Castiel let the balloons go in the backseat of his car before placing the rose with the others and opening the envelope.

_Cas,  
Even though I fell flat on my ass and sprained my ankle, I wouldn't trade our date at the ice rink for anything. You looked amazing on the ice and I wasn't kidding when I told you I would wipe out a million times just to see that smile. Not to mention, my injury got you to stay with me for a week and that led to us spending every night since then together. I don't care which apartment we're at, though I do admit I like yours more than mine -- like I said the first night you invited me over, it's got more of a homey vibe. I remember the exact moment I laid eyes on you, do you remember Cas?_

Castiel smiled as he started up his car. Of course he remembered that exact moment, how could he forget? It's not everyday you meet your one true love. He pulled the car out of the parking lot and headed home. Once he parked, he gathered the balloons, roses, box of candy, and his briefcase before locking his car and making his way up to his apartment and the place where he had meet Dean.

When he stepped off of the elevator, he looked down the hallway towards Dean's apartment where a cardboard box -- much like the ones that had surrounded Dean the night he moved in -- sat in front of the door. Castiel smiled and walked over to it, setting the candy and roses down with his briefcase beside the cardboard box, quickly tying the balloons to the handle of the briefcase before reaching for the box. He opened the cardboard box and inside laid four more blue roses and a note.

_Cas,  
Do you believe in fate? I never used to… Not until I met you. These past five months have been the best of my life. I have enjoyed every moment I have had the pleasure to spend with you Cas -- every date, every kiss, every touch, meeting your friends and family -- all of that has meant so much to me. I'm a man of few words, Cas, and I've never been good with the whole ‘expressing your feelings’ thing. I'll never be able to tell you just how much all of this has meant to me, how much **you** have meant to me. Now come inside, I made your favorite for dinner. _

_PS: I'm in your apartment. Like I said, it feels more like home to me._

Castiel placed the roses, chocolates, and notes inside the box before standing up and gathering it along with his briefcase with the balloons tied to it. He walked into his apartment and could hear Dean in the dining room. He placed his briefcase by the door, freed the balloons from it and took them and the box with him. 

Castiel smiled when he turned the corner and saw Dean setting two plates on the table, each with double bacon cheeseburgers and a huge pile of curly fries on it. Castiel set the box on the counter and let go of the balloons, letting them float to the ceiling. Dean turned and matched Castiel's grin. “Happy Valentine's Day, Cas.”

“No one has ever done anything so romantic for me. I don't even know what to say.” Castiel closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around Dean, pulling him into a fervent kiss. “Happy Valentine's Day, Dean,” Cas whispered against his lips once they parted.

Dean nipped at Castiel's bottom lip. “Kiss me like that again and we will be eating cold burgers because _I will_ drag you to the bedroom to have my way with you ahead of schedule.”

Castiel stepped back, sat down in his seat, and pulled his plate in front of him before popping a curly fry into his mouth and smiling up at Dean who was pouting. 

“That wasn't exactly the reaction I was hoping for. Do you like my burgers better than our sex?” Dean teased as he sat down beside Cas.

Castiel furrowed his brows and gave Dean a deadly serious look. “For the sake of our relationship, don't make me answer that.”

Dean let out a loud bark of laughter as Castiel picked up his burger and groaned around the first bite. Dean bumped his shoulder against Cas’. “Looks like I'm going to have to step up my game in the bedroom.”

After dinner they both changed into something more comfortable and Dean did the dishes while Castiel took the moisture tubes off his roses and placed them in a vase and in the middle the counter. He was leaning up against the counter admiring them when Dean came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Cas’ waist. “What are you thinking so hard about,” he whispered in Castiel's ear.

“I was just curious as to why blue roses?” Cas looked over his shoulder at Dean. “And why eleven of them?”

“Did you know,” Dean smiled at him, “roses have their very own language and even the number of flowers mean something?”

“No,” Castiel shook his head. “I didn't know that.”

Dean hummed. “Well they do, and eleven blue roses were perfect for what I was trying to say.”

Cas leaned back into Dean's arms, sinking happily into his warmth. “And just what were you trying to convey?”

Dean shook his head and tightened his grip around Castiel's waist. “I'm not telling.”

Cas snorted and grabbed the big box of bourbon balls from the counter. “How about we go cuddle on the couch, gorge on chocolate, and watch a romantic movie.”

Dean threaded his fingers through Cas’. “Only if I get to pick the movie,” he teased.

Castiel smiled. “What do you have in mind?” 

Dean walked over to the DVD shelf and held up _Dirty Dancing_. Castiel laughed and sat down on the couch. “Perfect, put it in and come join me.”

Dean plopped down on the couch and pressed play. Cas opened up his heart shaped box of chocolates and picked one up placing it to Dean lips. He smiled and took the sweet into his mouth, finishing with a quick lick to each of Cas’ fingers. Castiel groaned and his pupils dilated with lust. “I better let you feed yourself because if you lick my fingers like that again we're not gonna make it through the movie.”

Dean smirked and popped another chocolate into his mouth. “That's payback for that ‘fuck me’ kiss you gave me in the dining room.”

Castiel laughed and bit into a bourbon ball, moaning at the perfect combination of sweet milk chocolate and smoky, rich bourbon. Dean wrapped his arm around Cas who curled into Dean's side, turning his attention to the TV just as Frances "Baby" Houseman and her family were headed for the Catskills’ Resort, Kellerman's Mountain House.

Once the movie ended, Dean shut off the TV and smiled down at Cas whose head was in Dean's lap. “You ready for bed, Babe?”

Castiel smiled up at him wantonly. “I'm definitely ready for bed.” He sat up and stretched, popping his back.

Dean took Cas’ hand and pulled him up. Castiel paused upon entering the bedroom, his eyes drawn to the very large teddy bear sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. Dean smirked as he led Castiel over to the bed. 

“What?” Dean teased.

“Do we have to leave it there?” Castiel looked at Dean and then back to the bear. “Staring at the bed like that?”

“Oh, yeah,” Dean laughed as he pressed a kiss to Cas’ throat. “Zeppelin, isn't going anywhere. We talked it over. You see... he's kind of a voyeur and he's very much looking forward to watching me fuck you.”

Castiel smiled at him. “You named your teddy bear Zeppelin.”

“Well, yeah,” Dean nodded. “He needed a name.”

Castiel giggled and pushed Dean down onto the bed, Dean pulled Cas down with him. He groaned, the sound rumbling low in his chest as he pressed his lips against Castiel's, increasing the pressure, pure need coursing through his veins as he felt Cas eagerly kissing him back. As their kiss deepened, their tongues tangled, probing, exploring with the same fervor as if it was the first time. Dean's heart pounded wildly in his chest with the swell of emotions he felt for this man.

"I want you so bad," Dean whispered against Castiel's lips.

"Take me, I'm all yours," Castiel moaned as he slid his hand down to Dean’s hips gripping them tightly, molding them together. He groaned as he felt Castiel's arousal press against his own.

Dean peppered kisses across his lover's jaw, his tongue darting out to lick along his Adam's apple, savoring the salty taste of Cas’ skin. Dean slipped his hands under the hem of his lover’s shirt and pulled it off. He nipped and licked at Cas’ throat as he ground his pelvis against him, wringing a delicious moan from him. Dean ran his hands admiringly down Castiel's chest stopping to rub circles over his protruding hip bones. 

He gripped Cas’ sweatpants and boxer briefs sliding them off his hips, his half hard cock lay heavy against his thigh. Dean let his eyes roam appreciatively over Cas’ naked form. "Fuck, you are absolutely beautiful," Dean whispered endearingly as he pulled Castiel into a heated kiss.

"And you, Dean, have on entirely too many clothes," Castiel mumbled playfully against his lover’s wet lips. Dean smirked as he pushed up onto his knees and removed his shirt before slipping off his pants and briefs. Castiel grinned and pulled Dean into another kiss, running his hands over the expanse of Dean’s exposed skin. Castiel scooted back onto the bed and Dean crawled over to him, stalking him like a predator does it prey as he straddled Cas’ hips. 

Dean surged forward and claimed Castiel's mouth again. Cas reached up cupping Dean’s face in his hands turning his head and licking across the seam of Dean’s lips thrusting his tongue in, deepening the kiss as Dean’s mouth parted on a sigh. 

Dean kissed his way down his lover’s body stopping to suck a nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue over the hard pebbled flesh. Castiel hissed and arched up into the touch. Dean kissed lower and lower as his hand caressed up Castiel's thigh, over his succulent hipbone and then teasingly ghosting over his erection, drawing a gravely moan from him.

Dean gripped Castiel's hot hard flesh in his hand and leaned down running his tongue over the slit tasting his salty musk before wrapping his lips around Cas’ thick cock and sinking down taking all of him into his mouth. His hands fisted into Dean's hair as he thrusted up into the wet cavern of his lover's mouth. "Fuck, Dean, God you feel amazing." 

Dean continued to bob up and down on Castiel’s length, running his hand up Cas’ thigh and fondling his balls before sliding his fingers lower and massaging Castiel's rim earning Dean a choked off moan from his lover. 

Dean moved off Castiel's cock, the hard length slipped past his lips and he looked up at Cas’ with lust blown eyes. "I want you so bad. I need you, Castiel, can I make love to you?" 

“Yes, please,” Castiel panted wantonly as he gripped Dean’s shoulders. “Dean. Make love to me,” 

Dean reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube. He nudged Castiel's thighs wider as he slicked his fingers with the clear balm, before running his fingers up Cas’ thigh and rubbing gentle circles over Castiel's furled flesh. He pushed his finger in slowly thrusting in and out as Castiel pressed back, swiveling his hips and whimpering for more. Dean worked in a second finger then a third, running them along Cas’ inner walls and stretching him. 

He gripped the covers and arched off the bed moaning loudly as Dean struck his prostate. He writhed and mewled as Dean continued to massage that sweet spot deep inside Castiel until he was begging for Dean to take him.

"Please, Dean, please. I'm ready, God I'm ready." 

And how could he say no? He removed his fingers and coated his cock with lube. He knelt between Castiel's legs and lined his cock up to Cas’ quivering hole, slowly sliding into the tight slick heat. Once Dean was fully seated inside of his lover he looked down at the man he was making love to. Dean’s heart ached and he was overwhelmed with all the different emotions that were racing through him. He leaned down and kissed Cas. He pulled out and thrusted back into him slowly, gently. 

Castiel's hips arched up, meeting every one of his lover's languid thrusts, as they poured every single thing they were feeling into this experience. Dean moaned, slowly increasing his pace. He slipped his hand between them and took a hold of Castiel's erection with his slicked hand, stroking him in time with his thrusts. "I'm so close, so close, Cas. Come with me, Sweetheart. I want you to let go for me."

Castiel whimpered and arched his back, moaning loudly as he came over Dean's hand, clenching down on his lover's beautiful cock. 

Dean's hips stuttered as his length pulsed and filled Castiel to the brim with his release. He collapsed breathlessly beside Cas after gently pulling out. Castiel curled himself around him, burrowing his face into Dean's throat. 

"That was amazing, Dean.” He grinned and looked past his lover, “Do you think Zeppelin enjoyed the show," Castiel teased with a wistful tone.

“Oh, yeah,” Dean snorted and gripped Cas’ ass, causing him to squeak and glare at Dean. “He totally got off on that. He can't wait to watch you fuck me tomorrow morning.”

Mmmm,” Castiel yawned and cuddled closer to Dean. “Is that so?”

Dean kissed the top of his head. “Definitely, Babe.” 

They remained intertwined in each other's arms as they drifted off to sleep, sated and completely content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how Dean said flowers had their own language. Here's what the selection he gave Cas meant.
> 
> *Blue rose means The unattainable, the impossible.
> 
> *Eleven roses assures the recipient they are truly and deeply admired.
> 
> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23014194)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you guys in two weeks on Aug. 10th or 11th ! :)


	17. Luck of the Draw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the temporary hiatus. I am having a bit of Writers block so this is coming along slower than I would like.
> 
> But I'm back now and this fic will continue on a bi-weekly schedule. I would like to thank lotrspnfangirl for beta'ing this chapter, and zephyrchrysalis for Alpha reading and producing art.
> 
> Links to my artist's pages are in the end notes.
> 
> Happy Reading!

“You about ready, Babe?” Dean called out from the living room.

Castiel peeked around the bedroom door. “Yeah, I'm just trying to find my favorite black jeans.”

Dean grabbed his shoes, sat on the couch, and looked over his shoulder down the hallway at Cas. “They’re in the clothes’ basket by the closet. I washed them last night.”

Castiel smiled, “Thanks.” He walked over to the closet and rifled through the basket carefully, not wanting to mess up the nicely folded clothes. A few minutes later, he was completely dressed and joined Dean in the living room. He plopped down on Dean's lap and kissed his cheek. 

“You ready for game night with Zar and Gabe?”

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas and replied, “You know it.” Castiel nuzzled at Dean's jaw, placing kisses up to his ear. Dean hummed and tilted his head, giving Castiel better access. After a few minutes, Dean groaned. “Cas, come on babe, keep that up and we’re going to be late. And you know Zar and Gabe will tease us relentlessly if we are.”

Castiel nibbled at Dean's earlobe. “They are going to tease us anyway.

“Good point.” Dean dumped Castiel off his lap and onto the couch, drawing a startled yelp from Cas which turned into a moan when Dean straddled him and rutted against his thigh. “Might as well give them a reason.”

Dean rang the doorbell and waited. Castiel snorted and Dean looked over at him with his eyebrow arched. “What?”

“We are so late,” Castiel muttered just as the door opened. 

Zar stared at them with a scowl on his face. Dean and Castiel smiled sheepishly and tried not to cringe at the man’s good-natured sneer. 

“Really? Forty five minutes late?” He gave them a once over, taking in their ‘post-coital’ glow. “You guys couldn't wait ‘til _after_?” Balthazar sighed and stepped to the side to let them in. “It better have been one epic fuck to delay game night.”

Dean wiggled his eyebrows at Zar and slapped Cas on the ass. “Oh, believe me, it was _beyond_ epic.”

Castiel glared at Dean who was smirking at him in return. Zar slung his arms over their shoulders and led them to the dining room. “Well, do tell, Dean-o! And don't leave out any of the _scrumptious_ details.”

Gabe looked up just as he stuffed a handful of M&M’s into his mouth. “Oh, lookie! It's the two fuck bunnies,” he mumbled around the mouthful of candy. “How nice of you to hop off Dean-o’s dick and join us for a while, Cassie.”

Castiel groaned and ran his hand down his face. “Could you _be_ more crude, Gabriel?”

Gabe smirked and winked, “Why, yes, Cassie, I could be! Would you like me to be?”

Dean laughed and took a seat across from Gabe, changing the subject before Castiel could bite back a retort. “So... what are we playin’?”

“Cards Against Humanity,” Zar replied as he opened the refrigerator to grab a couple of drinks for Dean and Cas.

“Never played it,” Dean said as he took the beer Zar offered with a nod of thanks.

Gabriel smirked. “Oh, you are in for a real treat, Dean-o.”

Castiel sat down by Dean and took a swig of his beer. “Gabe is the reigning champ.”

Gabriel raised his beer and winked at them. “Damn right, I am! I am the Cards Against Humanity _King_!”

Dean chuckled and said, “Well, don't get too comfy with that title, because I'm about to dethrone you.”

Zar placed a few bowls on the table with various snacks and took his seat across from Dean. “Alright, boys,” he said as he picked up the deck of white cards and dealt them out, “let's play.”

A few hours into the game, Dean had figured out everyone’s strategy. Zar picked the most ridiculous cards, Gabe picked the most perverted -no shocker there- and Cas picked the ones that made the most sense. 

“Okay, Dean, it's your turn to be Card Czar,” Gabriel huffed glancing between their two piles.

Dean smirked. “How many cards you got over there, Gabe? I'm counting five,” Dean hummed, fingers spreading out his own, “Five to my… what is this? Oh, that’s right, eight. Just two more and I win.”

Gabriel flipped him off and stuck out his tongue. “How about you shut the fuck up, Dean-o, and read the damn card.” 

Dean let out a loud bark of laughter, “Okay, okay. _You have my sword. And you have my bow. And my…_ ” Dean covered his eyes as the other three laid down their cards. Cas tapped his shoulder when they were ready. Dean picked up the cards and mixed them before he reread the question and then the answers.

“ _You have my sword. And you have my bow. And my…_ Poor life choices, Assless Chaps, or Firm buttocks.” Dean hummed, “I'm going to have to go with ‘Firm buttocks’.”

Castiel fist pumped the air and pulled the black card to his pile. Gabriel groaned and threw up his hands. “Really, Dean-o? How could you _not_ have chosen ‘Assless Chaps’? Frodo in Assless Chaps, man, come on, that’s priceless!”

Dean smirked around his beer bottle. “Because I knew it was yours.” 

Gabe groaned again. Zar laughed and patted Gabe on the cheek. “Oh, quit your whining. It's your turn to be Card Czar.”

Gabriel sighed and reached for a black card, straightening his shoulders and reading out dramatically, “ _I drink to forget_ …”

Everyone choose a card while Gabe shut his eyes, humming the jeopardy song loudly under his breath, and Gabe shuffled them when they were finished before reading them off. “ _I drink to forget_... Drinking alone, A lifetime of sadness, or Alcoholism.” Gabe tapped his finger on the table. “Gotta go with ‘Drinking alone’.” Dean smirked and Gabriel groaned, “Oh, fuck me! Don't tell me that's your card.” 

Castiel and Zar snickered as Dean reached over and slid the card into his pile, earning a murderous glare from Gabe. “One more and I win,” Dean stated cheerfully.

Gabriel turned to Castiel and pointed at him. “It's your turn to be the Card Czar. You _do not_ pick his card. I don't care how good he is in bed, cliques before dicks, Cassie.”

Zar slapped his hand on his thigh as he burst out laughing. “Yeah, Cassie, buds before studs.”

Castiel shook his head as he reached for a black card. “I’ll try to not choose Dean's, okay, guys?”

Gabe shook his head forcefully. “No, **you** shut that shit down, Cassie.”

Castiel cleared his throat. “ _What's fun until it gets weird_?”

Dean, Gabe, and Zar placed their cards on the table after a moment and Cas gathered them. Gabriel met his eyes over the table, dropping his voice as low as it could go.“Any one of them but his, Cassie.”

Castiel mixed up the cards. “Okay, guys, _What's fun until it gets weird_... Getting your dick stuck in a Chinese finger trap with another dick, a bunch of idiots playing a card game instead of interacting like normal human beings, or Harry Potter erotic.” Castiel snorted, eyes scanning over each of the cards. “I’ve got to go with ‘a bunch of idiots playing a card game instead of interacting like normal human beings’.”

Dean whooped and raised his arms up. “That's game! All hail to the new king!”

Gabe drained the rest of his beer. “Don't get used to it, Dean-o. I will get my crown back next game night,” he promised.

“What do you guys wanna do now?” Zar asked as he started putting the game away.

“Let's make s'mores,” Gabriel stated matter-of-factly like that was the most obvious answer.

Dean stared at him incredulously. “Dude, it's cold as a yeti’s balls outside and you wanna go make s'mores?”

Gabriel smirked. “Zar’s got a heated gazebo with a small fire pit. So, yeah, like I said before let's make some s'mores!” He looked over at Zar. “Please tell me you’ve got the stuff to make ’em.”

Zar nodded, and rolled his eyes fondly at his friend. “Yeah, I’ve got what we need, how would I not have what my best friend needed to feed his sugar addiction? Come help me light the fire pit, Gabe.” He turned to Dean and Cas, “You know your way around my kitchen, Cassie. All the ingredients for s'mores are in the pantry. You two get everything we need and meet us outside.”

Castiel dug through the pantry, tossing the marshmallows to Dean before he grabbed the box of graham crackers and the package of Hershey's candy bars. He set them down on the counter where Dean had placed the marshmallows. “You ready? We should get our coats and head on out.”

Dean hummed and reached out, resting his hands on Cas’ hips, his thumb trailing along the sharp bone before he hooked them into the loops of Cas’ jeans and pulled him flush against his body. “In a minute,” Dean mumbled against Castiel's plush lips before licking the seam and nibbling at Cas’ bottom lip until he opened. His tongue tangled with Castiel's as he backed them up. The counter bit into Cas’ lower back as Dean continued kissing him heatedly, running his hands up Cas’ shirt and feeling his abs twitch as his fingers danced across them. He trailed openmouthed kisses along Castiel's jaw, stopping to lick and bite at his pulse point, drawing the most delicious moans from Cas’ lips. 

“No banging in my kitchen! The only one who can have sex in here is me,” Zar said as he walked over to the counter and gathered the s’more ingredients. Dean and Castiel sprang apart and Zar smirked. “Grab your coats and come on, I don't trust you two alone. You might defile my counters.”

Dean snorted and Castiel groaned as they grabbed their coats. “We were just kissing, Zar. Do you really think I would have sex in your kitchen?”

Zar arched his eyebrow. “It looked to me like Dean was getting some up the shirt action and by the way you were moaning? Hell, yeah, I think you would do the nasty in my kitchen,” he replied as they all walked outside.

“‘Bout fuckin’ time, what the fuck took you so long?” Gabe grumbled as Zar, Cas, and Dean entered the gazebo.

“They were getting ready to fuck in my kitchen,” Zar answered as he tossed the bag of marshmallows to Gabe.

Castiel groaned as he sat down in one of the chairs by the fire pit. “We were just kissing!”

Gabe snorted. “Kissing is the gateway activity that leads to fuckin’.” 

Dean sat down beside Castiel and picked up one of the sticks Zar and Gabe had gathered. He held it out to Gabriel with a grin. “Marshmallow me.”

Gabe pushed the marshmallow on Dean’s stick before handing him a graham cracker and square of chocolate. 

Dean broke the large cracker in half and did the same to the candy bar. Then he carefully perched one half of the cracker with the large square of chocolate topping it on his knee, “Gotta be ready,” he winked at Cas, “don’t want to waste all that nice toasty marshmallow.” He put the plain half cracker on his other knee.

“Seems you’ve done this before, Dean-o,” Gabe chuckled as he watched Dean’s precise movements.

“Oh, man,” Dean held his stick out to the fire, “I got the toasting down to perfection, if I do say so myself.”

Zar eyed Dean’s stick, “Not too far in, just enough, right?”

“You got it,” Dean smirked, “now my brother, he’d just burn his marshmallow to a crisp just so he wouldn't have to eat it, he hates these things!”

“You’re kidding,” Cas looked at Dean in surprise as Gabe gasped.

“How is that even possible?” Gabe was thunderstruck, “Your brother is not human!”

Dean let out a deep belly laugh, “Maybe not, he thinks salad is a food, and jello is his idea of dessert! Can you believe that?”

“Salads are for tossing,” Zar deadpanned.

“The only good salad is on top of a burger,” Cas added as he shook his head in wonder. “You and Sam are very different!”

“That is an understatement,” Dean looked mirthfully at his lover, “and behold this perfectly roasted, just toasted enough marshmallow,” he took the perfectly bubbled completely browned fluff of sugar from the fire and and blew gently to douse the single flame. He laid the marshmallow on top of on half set of crackers and chocolate and covering it with the other half, squishing it together and pulling the stick free. He smiled and handed it to Cas who had been watching the entire time. “Here you go, Sweetheart.”

“Awwwww,” Gabe mock cooed, “isn't Dean-o the sweetest?” 

Cas took a healthy bite and let out a near filthy moan of delight at the taste of the sugary treat as Dean started on another one.

“I can’t believe anyone doesn’t like this,” Cas mumbled as he swallowed, “it’s perfect, crunchy graham cracker, wonderful creamy chocolate and delicious sticky sugary goodness of the marshmallow!” He sighed, “Sam does not know what’ he’s missing!”

Gabe’s brows bounced, “Well, then, more for us, right?”

“Abso-fuckin-lutely,” Dean grinned as he turned another marshmallow into the fire and pulled Cas into his side.

Zar hummed his agreement as he turned his marshmallow over the fire, browning all sides.

Dean looked at Cas who had chocolate on his chin and his nose as he polished off the s’more. He couldn't help the fond smile that spread across his face. Dean roasted another marshmallow and built the treat, taking a small bite before holding it out to Cas. 

Instead of taking it, Castiel held Dean's wrist and led it to his mouth. He took a bite and urged Dean to take another, then giggled as Dean fed him more bites of the delicious treat. He sucked Dean’s fingers into his mouth after he took the last bite, running his tongue over the pads licking the sticky marshmallow and chocolate off. 

Dean leaned forward and placed his hand on Cas' thigh as Castiel wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck, leaning in for a kiss. They continued to kiss for a few minutes, ignoring the catcalls from Zar and Gabe. Cas laughed against Dean's lips when he felt him dart his tongue out to clear the flecks of graham cracker that clung to his lips. 

Dean kissed Cas once more before pulling back and running his finger over his chin and nose grinning as he said, “You got a little chocolate on you.” 

Gabe groaned, “My God, you two are sweeter than the s'mores.”

Zar nodded. “I have a cavity now from just watching the two of you.”

Dean snorted, “You guys are just jealous.”

They sat around the fire eating s'mores and talking well into the night. Around midnight, Castiel yawned and laid his head on Dean's shoulder. “You tired, Sweetheart,” he whispered into Cas’ ear.

Castiel nodded and yawned again. Dean stood and pulled Cas up with him, turning to the other two. “Well, guys, we’re gonna get going.”

Gabe looked down at his watch. “Shit, it got late quick. I should probably head out, too.”

Zar quickly put out the fire and walked around to the front of the house with the others. “We need to get together again soon,” he said as he gave each of them a hug or handshake.

Gabriel nodded, clapping Zar on the back as he stepped back. “Hell, yeah, we do! I gotta kick Dean-o’s ass in Cards Against Humanity and get my metaphorical crown back.”

Dean shook his head. “In your dreams, Gabey.”

Castiel smiled at the playful banter and threaded his arm through Dean's. “Night, Gabe, night Zar. See you Monday.”

“Night, Cassie, Dean,” Zar replied as he stepped up on his porch, giving them a wave.

“Good night you two!” Gabriel called out as he walked to his car.

Dean opened the passenger side door for Cas and shut it behind him once he was situated. He waved at Balthazar and Gabriel, “See you guys soon.”

Dean walked around the Impala and slid into the driver's seat. He looked over at Cas who was leaning against the window softly snoring. Dean sighed as he started the car. He looked over at Castiel once more and it made his chest constrict. _How the hell am I going to be happy without him in my life_.

Castiel pulled up outside the bar, turned off the car, and looked over at Dean with a huge smile stretched across his face.

“The Bottleneck?” Dean furrowed his brows. “What are we doing here, Cas?” 

Castiel smirked as he pointed to the sign in the window. “Friday night Karaoke.” 

Dean turned to face Cas. “Karaoke?” He repeated.

“Karaoke,” Castiel confirmed with a nod and grinned at the expression on Dean’s face.

Dean shook his head. “I don't get it, Cas.”

Castiel sighed. “Do you remember what you told me on your birthday?” Dean nodded and Castiel continued, “Now’s your chance!” Castiel gave his hand a squeeze and leaned towards him. “Don't be nervous. I'll be right here. You can finally live a dream you’ve had since high school.

“Uhm, no,” Dean shook his head, “I’m completely fine without that dream. It was just a silly high schoolers dream. The shower is good enough for me.” 

Cas chuckled lightly, “Don’t be silly! It's time for you to share that beautiful voice of yours! It's truly a shame to keep it hidden.” Castiel reached for the car door and opened it, flashing Dean a smile as he got out. “C’mon!” Cas reached for Dean’s hand, “Let's go!”

He waited a beat and gave a small chuckle as Dean sat, half frozen in the car. Castiel moved around to the passenger side, opening the door. “Well,” he tugged on his lover’s sleeve, “come on. I promise, it’ll be fun!” 

“Like sleeping on nails,” Dean muttered.

“What?”

“Nothin’”

Cas chuckled as he pulled the heavy door open, “You have a great voice. People will love you, you’ll see!”

They walked into the bar and Dean’s heart started thumping harder when he saw the stage being set up. Castiel -as if immediately sensing Dean’s panic- placed a hand on his back and leaned up to whisper in his ear, “Let's go order some drinks and find a seat.” 

Dean nodded and allowed Castiel to steer him towards the bar.

The busty blonde bartender eyed Dean and Castiel as if they were lunch before she leaned against the bar giving them a perfect view of her cleavage as she licked her lips and purred, “What can I get for you handsome gentlemen?”

“Shots,” Dean replied quickly, the stage still visible from the corner of his eye, “ _Lots of shots_.”

She lined up six shot glasses in front of Dean and Castiel and grinned salaciously. “Pick your poison, Boys.”

Dean looked over at Cas and he just shrugged. “It's up to you.”

Dean turned back to the bartender who had stepped back from the bar and revealed the name tag on her shirt. “Jack Daniels, Krystal, and lots of it.”

She filled the six shot glasses in one fluid movement and set the bottle on the bar. “Drink up.”

Dean and Castiel each picked up one of the shot glasses and clicked them together before tossing them back, then they moved onto the second and third. After they had taken their last shot, Castiel pulled his wallet out of his pocket and gave his credit card to Krystal. “Start a tab, please.”

She looked down at the card and then winked at him. “Sure thing, Castiel.” She entered the card into the computer and handed it back to him with another clear shot of her cleavage.

He took the card from her and placed it back into his wallet before pocketing it again. “Can you give us a refill, Krystal?”

She grabbed the bottle of Jack with a nod. “Sure, Sugar, coming right up.”

Castiel picked up a shot glass and winked at Dean before downing it. Dean followed suit and once they were finished, Dean found himself warm and slightly relaxed. “You want anything else, Dean?” Castiel asked as he twisted one of the shot glasses on the bar top.

He nodded and looked at Krystal who was still leaned up against the bar. Not so subtlety checking them out. “Can you pour me three fingers of that whiskey, on the rocks, please.”

She nodded. “Sure can, Sugar,” Krystal then turned to Castiel, “And what can I get for you, Sweetheart?”

Castiel furrowed his brows in contemplation before replying, “I'll take the same.”

She grabbed two tumblers, dropped some ice in each, and wrapped her fingers around the glasses to measure out three before sliding them to Dean and Castiel. “Enjoy,” she cooed, pressing into the bar once more to push her breasts up before drawing back in a slow arch and leaving them to go help another patron.

Castiel shook his head at her back, amused, and then nudged Dean’s shoulder. “Hey, let's go get a seat closer to the stage. I've had enough of Krystal flirting with you.”

Dean snorted as he stood. “She's flirting with you just as much, Cas, but I know what you mean. It took everything in me not to wrap my arms around you and tell her you’re _mine_ when she called you ‘Sweetheart’. Only I get to call you that.”

Castiel smiled at Dean as they wove around the tables and found a seat up front center stage. Dean sipped his whiskey as they watched a tall middle-aged man in a leather jacket with his long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, finish setting up the equipment. Once he was done, he flipped on the mic. 

“Welcome to Friday Night Karaoke! I'm your host, Chris,” he called out and everyone whooped and hollered in response. “So! Who’s going to be our first singer?”

A young woman in the back shot her hand up and she yelled, “Ooh! Me! Me! I will.”

Chris smiled as she made her way up. “And what song will you be doing for us?”

She took the mic, hands shaking in excitement. “Toxic by Britney Spears!” The music began and Dean and Castiel watched as the girl sang and danced across the stage.

They watched singers come and go for a few hours, Castiel getting up once to grab them both a beer, and Dean still had not gone up. When a group of ladies who were there for a bachelorette party finished singing ‘Chapel of Love’, Chris took the stage again. 

“Who's next? C'mon, guys and gals! The party is just starting!”

Castiel glanced at Dean out of the corner of his eye before pointing at him and calling out, “He will, he wants to go next!” Dean eyes widened and he blinked owlishly at Cas. Castiel bumped his shoulder to Dean’s. “You got this, go on.”

Dean stood up, ignoring the shaking of his legs, and walked up on the stage. The crowd started cheering as he picked out a song and took the mic. Dean cleared his throat. “I've, uh, I’ve never done this before but... I have always wanted to sing in front of a crowd ever since I was in high school. I’ve just never had the courage until my boyfriend,” he pointed at Castiel, “helped me find it. This is for him.”

And then, with a few alterations to the words, Dean began to sing.

“ _Close your eyes and I'll kiss you.  
Tomorrow I'll miss you.  
Remember I'll always be true._”

Dean's voice wavered as he continued, the words really hitting home. He would miss Cas, he'd miss him so goddamn much. 

“ _And then while I'm away,  
I'll write home every day.  
And I'll send all my loving to you._

_I'll pretend that I'm kissing,  
The lips I am missing.  
And hope that my dreams will come true_.”

Dean looked down at Castiel who was smiling up at him. 

Dean had dreams, so many of them. He dreamed he could be with Castiel, that he _really_ was Cas’ true love, and that Crowley wouldn't be coming in less than a month to take him away from Dean forever.

“ _And then while I'm away,_  
I'll write home every day.  
And I'll send all my loving to you.

_All my loving, I will send to you.  
All my loving, darling I'll be true, yeah._

_Close your eyes and I'll kiss you._  
Tomorrow I'll miss you.  
Remember I'll always be true.” 

Dean dreamed that he was true, that his love wasn’t tainted by the dishonesty it had been built on. Because despite his best efforts, despite all of the walls and the harsh reminders from Crowley’s visits, Dean couldn’t deny the true feeling he buried deep inside.

_“And then while I'm away,_  
I'll write home every day.  
And I'll send all my loving to you. 

_All my loving, I will send to you.  
All my loving, darling I'll be true._”

Yet, Dean knew he would be, after everything was said and done. There would never be anyone after his Cas. No one would take his place, no one _could_ take his place.

“ _All my loving, all my loving  
Woo, all my loving, I will send to you_.”

Everyone clapped, whistled, and hollered for Dean as Chris made his way back up on stage. Dean smirked at Cas, biting back the swell of emotions the song had evoked, before he looked at Chris and spoke into the mic, “Before you ask who's next Chris, it's this guy right here.” Dean pointed at Castiel, who was shaking his head. Dean smiled and nodded his head. “Oh, yes it is! You're next. Now, get your ass up here, Castiel.” 

Castiel sighed, resigned to his fate, and stood up. Dean gave Chris the mic and walked towards the steps leading off the stage, meeting Cas walking up them. “I hate you,” Castiel hissed with no real heat behind his words, causing Dean to smile and pull him into a brief, chaste kiss. 

Dean ran his fingers down Cas’ arm. “Nah, you so don't. Now, let's see what you got.”

Dean took his seat and Castiel was whispering to Chris. The host smiled and nodded at Cas before going to set up his song. Castiel stood there clutching the mic and waiting for the music to begin. A familiar guitar riff rang out into the room and Dean’s heart sped up. He knew this song.

Castiel took a deep breath and started to sing, his eyes never leaving Dean's.

“ _Without you in my life,  
Contemplating suicide, torn from all my strife._

_A man tells me, Son, that ain't the way._  
Gonna make a deal with you child,  
You're gonna live another day.  
Just sign right here son...  
Everything will be alright. 

_Ohhh Ain't nothing I wouldn't do  
Ohhh All and everything for you  
Ohhh Your love is all I ever wanted it's true.   
Ohhh ....Therefore I have sold my soul for you_.”

Dean’s heart ached, the overwhelming emotions and guilt sucker punching him, as he watched Castiel and listened to the words he sang. Cas had taken a chance, he had risked _everything_ for a shot at true love, and instead he got Dean. The man who spent the last five months deceiving him for his own personal gain. The man who knew he would never be worthy of Castiel because of what he’s done. 

“ _I was told by this man it would be worth my while,  
He'd give to me my love.  
Return me to my smile.   
It's all I ask for in this life,  
Whatever's wrong son, he told me he'd make right._

_Just sign right here child,  
Everything will be alright.  
Therefore I have sold my soul for you.  
All for you.  
Just sign right here son,  
Everything will be alright_.”

Dean couldn't breathe as Castiel finished the song, he couldn't hear the crowd over the sound of his own blood pumping in his ears. God, he felt sick. He wished he could go back and tell Crowley ‘no’ or that Cas had never gone to the Crossroads that September night . Hell, or better yet, he wished they’d met under different circumstances and could be together without a ticking clock counting down to their final minutes.

Dean jumped when he felt Castiel’s hand on his shoulder and heard him whispering in his ear with concern that Dean didn’t deserve, “Dean? You okay?”

He plastered on his best fake smile and pushed all the guilt aside. He had plenty of time for guilt later. Hell, he had the rest of his life. Right here, in this very moment, he just wanted to be with Castiel while they still had time. “Yeah, yeah, I'm fine,” he reached out and took Cas’ hand, “that was just amazing, Cas. How come you never told me you could sing?”

Castiel huffed a small laugh. “Because I can't.”

Dean pulled him down in his lap. “Well, you could have fooled me.” He dropped a chaste kiss to his lover’s cheek, “You about ready to go? Because I can't wait to get you home and in bed.”

Castiel smiled and stood back up. “As soon as I close out the bar tab, I'm all yours.”

Dean watched Castiel walk up to the bar, his words ringing in Dean’s ears, ‘I'm all yours.’ 

He was, as Dean was his. _Yeah, but not for much longer,_ he thought as he swallowed down his darker thoughts and put on his jacket to meet Cas by the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs sung in the chapter:  
> Dean: All my Loving by the Beatles.  
> Cas: Sold my Soul by Black Label Society.
> 
> Some of the words were changed to fit, but both songs are awesome if you have never heard them you should check them out.
> 
> Here's the links to my artists pages!
> 
> [ _**Collection of Fiction Artwork by lotrspnfangirl**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763/chapters/23557509)
> 
> [ _**Graphics Masterpost created by ZephyrChrysalis here!**_ ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9874259/chapters/23014194)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you guys in two weeks!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Graphics for At The Crossroads](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10646763) by [lotrspnfangirlgraphics (lotrspnfangirl)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lotrspnfangirl/pseuds/lotrspnfangirlgraphics)




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